Calamity of Empathy
by kokoronoitami
Summary: VinXCid: Warning: Adult content, disturbing scenes, language: Haunted by conflict, Vincent suddenly finds himself in Cid's company, the pilot anxious to help in many ways. Can Cid break the barrier between them before an unforseen nemesis interferes? R&R!
1. Run in

This is the final rewrite of my old story. Please enjoy and review.  
Warning: Disturbing images in this chapter

* * *

Vincent shuddered inwardly as the figure before him raised a glinting object. The room was dark and cold and he fidgeted at the discomfort of the cold metal against the skin of his back. 

One lone light shone overhead. Looking up into the brightness, he briefly fantasized about the end. He turned his attention back towards the figure at his side, his vision impaired as a result of halation.

Ruby eyes blinked thrice as the color spots began to fade from sight, the darkness giving way to the cloaked silhouette by his side.

He could detect the faint smell of latex gloves that adorned the shadow's hands. He would forever detest that smell, as he would forever detest the Shinra scientist.

A gloved hand began to press firmly into the skin just below the rib cage, sectioning out the desired area. He gnawed his lower lip in habit, dreading the next part, but knowing that it was inevitable as he once again tested the straps restraining him. He could not help but shut his eyes tight and press his face against the cold metal as he felt the scalpel at his skin, and then the incision.

That cursed scalpel again...

So delicate a tool, yet so painful the sensations it could evoke.

His one good arm clawed at the table in vain as the painful pressure began to increase at the site of this degrading experiment. He dared not chance a glance over at his left arm, knowing that there would not be one so early in the torture.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but it too, was to no avail. He grit his teeth.

Why didn't it just stop beating already...

The gloved hand returned to prod the incision. He tried to protest, but as usual, found that he was unable. He couldn't find his voice, and his voice most certainly wouldn't find him.

It never did in these nightmares.

The gloved hand pushed against the incision, painfully stretching the skin and flesh aside as it reached inside, his body trembling in shock. A small squirt of blood shot up, marking the scientist's cheek.

He didn't even blink.

The gloved hand stretched, another tool coming over him and he heard the dizzying snap of a rib being surgically broken.

He lost his nerve, feeling the pain from years ago as if it were happening.

You weren't supposed to feel pain in your dreams, but anything was possible, wasn't it...

Vincent arched his back and opened his mouth in another scream of protest as his surroundings began to slowly change.

The scream died on his lips as his eyes snapped open.

As the tension began to slowly fade, he became aware of the fact that he was actually lying on his left side. His teeth slowly began to unclench as the light of reason began to creep into his eyes. The crease between his brows disappeared as an eerie calm settled within him. Under his hand he felt the warm stone and not the cold and impenetrable metal of the lab table.

This was the third night in a row that he had experienced the same nightmare.

He leaned into his claw, pushing himself to a sitting position as he dazedly raked a hand through his hair, claw gently scraping the stone beneath him as he steadied himself. He sighed and began to try to catch his breath, feeling his heart beat anxiously. He listened intently for a few moments.

He could never hear his own screams, however, they always managed to make it out of the nightmares, and he was hoping that they hadn't disturbed the figure he knew was watching him from the shadows.

He sighed, seeing the glint of the scalpel all too clearly in his mind.

Of all of the twisted, painful and damn near insane tools that the former Turk had been subjected to, the scalpel was by far the worst...the one thing that never seemed to fade...

He shut his eyes tight as he forced the image out of his mind.  
It was then that a figure waiting patiently in the corner finally shifted, standing and coming into the glowing emerald light.

The former Turk turned away as the older man spoke.

"So, how ya feelin?"

He nodded.

Cid exhaled a quiet sigh of relief as he knelt to approach the solemn man, gloved hands reaching forward and resting upon his shoulders.

"Really nah?" he spoke softer. Vincent nodded once more, clearing his throat as he kept his gaze averted. "Really..."

Seeming satisfied, Cid turned away from him, finding the exit of the cave. He looked back at the quiet young man just as he stood. "I'll start the engine... Take as much time as you need."

With that he left the glowing cave, the night air cool he noticed as he headed toward the small craft parked a few yards before him.

He grimaced as he neared his plane. Dammit...he had left the engine running again... He was probably going to have to refuel come morning.

* * *

A light breeze sifted through the mountains and the former Turk closed his eyes, tilting his head back and sighing as it blew through his hair. It was the only little relief he was able to have all to himself. 

The images had gone away now that he had regained control; gone back to wherever it was that they went when they weren't plaguing him.

Cid shook his head as he watched the other man take a breath from the window.

For a moment, just a moment, he could imagine the former Turk throwing his head back in a passion, his sigh one of ecstacy instead of hopelessness.

His heart beat faster as he watched the taller man turn slowly and find the path back to the ship.

Once again, Cid took the steering and Vincent sat down beside him, an indescribable expression on his face.

"You alright there?" Cid inquired.

"Yes..." the other man sighed as he leaned back into the chair, turning his face away from the pilot. Cid smiled faintly as he lit a cigarette, watching Vincent's chest rise and fall under his uniform. Stray locks of black silk spilled over his shoulders as he relaxed back into the comfortable chair. There was silence for a moment before he leaned forward. He seemed to contemplate something, Cid studying his movements with acute interest.

"Cid..."

Vincent turned his gaze toward the pilot for a moment, a little taken aback that he already had his attention.

"Yeah?"

The lone gunman moistened his lips for a moment before drawing his bottom lip into his mouth gently in what the other man could only interpret as an unsure habit.

"...Nothing..." the beautiful face was torn from his view as he turned away from him once again.

Cid's brows drew down suspiciously at that but he refused to pry.

After a moment of silence he turned back to the task at hand.

"...Where to?" he glanced at him.

"Anywhere..." he sighed.

Cid raised a brow at that as he pulled the lever and smiled at the familiar sensation as they ascended into the night air.

"Well you're in luck. I was on my way over to Tifa's. She's throwin' a party. I take it you didn't know?"

He shook his head silently, continuing to rest.

Vincent had been rather hesitate about reinserting himself into society. After meteor, the former Turk hadn't quite been himself what with the constant emptyness in his eyes, but then again, after his experience with Hojo, he had never qute been himself. Not one to sit in utter silence, the pilot took a calm breath before speaking.

"So, how've you been doin these days, Vince?"

The gunman turned to look at him once again, wondering why his nerves were still slightly jumpy. He realized that it was only Cid, that pilot that had leant he and the group his beloved aircraft during the crisis of the planet, meteor. A crisis that had given him some rather unforgiving answers in the end.

"I didn't expect to see you."

"Lucky you did..." Cid smiled as he momentarily glanced over at the digital map realizing how far off course he was. Meeting the gunman by chance hunched over atop a mountain near Nibelheim after his last delivery was definitely more than luck.

The gunman adjusted a strap across his lap, voice low and betraying none of the unease he was experiencing.

"What were you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Just cruisin' after work," Cid replied a matter of fact.

Vincent immediately shook his head, long raven locks catching the dim light overhead. What else would this man be doing out and around the outskirts of town in a plane.

"That wasn't a good question..." he said flatly, expression slightly disappointed as he gazed out at the town lights in the distance. Already he had already ruined the conversation.

God he had never been a people-person...

He was just about to abort the conversation when Cid's voice sounded once again, the craft tilting in a smooth turn.

"Ahh.. you're damn hard on yourself, Vince. There are no stupid questions."

The former Turk turned a little, the corner of his mouth turning up as he surprised himself with a rare half- smile that made the pilot suddenly anxious to reach his destination. It was that sort of response that gave the pilot the motivation he desired. You could talk to Vincent for an entire day and not work more than two words out of him and a cross glance.

A smile from someone who really had nothing to smile about was worth a thousand words...

"Do you come out here often?" Vincent inquired as they passed a layer of clouds.

"Yep. You?"

"I uh... No.." he concluded.

The conversation was soon thrown Cid's way as Vincent became predictably silent. The former Turk sat patiently as he ended up listening to what sounded like the pilot's hectic last few days of deliveries.

Once he seemed genuinely finished, the former Turk leaned back, closing his eyes. He could have sworn that only moments had passed, but he soon found himself rousing from a light sleep, Cid's voice slightly inquisitive. "Do you need a moment?"

The former Turk shook his head realizing they had already arrived as he immediately unstrapped himself and stood, following the pilot out of the small craft.

* * *

He paused for a moment and a cool breeze blew by as they stood on the outskirts of the city. 

Their eyes met, Vincent's eyes appearing strangely tense under the moonlight.

He waited, waited for the pilot to speak.

"This okay with you?..." Cid smiled. "I'm sure they'll be glad to see ya.."

Vincent swallowed, recognizing the entrance to Midgar. The way the pilot's eyes suddenly narrowed and his breath deepened was somehow exciting. It was a minute transition, his senses picking up the slightest fluctuation in the pilot's tone.

Cid stepped foward, and Vincent found himself taking a step to the side.

"Cid"  
The pilot looked over at him, raising a brow.

"Yeah nah?"

He shook his head and they both headed toward the city.

* * *

Tifa frowned as she looked at the clock, noting that it was nearing midnight. Cid had called nearly 2 hours ago after running into Vincent. What could be taking him so long to get them here? 

She sighed again, Cloud turning a little to glance at her.

"You okay?" he inquired as he used a fork to prod the food he was frying.

"Huh?' the small woman snapped out of her daze, setting the celery stick down that she had been gnawing on. "Me? Oh, I'm fine." she assured him, her gaze wandering over and up at the clock. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ring of the phone. Before she could push her chair back, Cloud had jumped to get it, peeling the small device off of the wall beside a cabinet and pressing the on switch, Tifa watching him curiously.

"Who is it?" she whispered, Cloud putting his hand over the reciever for a moment, voice barely above a whisper.

"Sorry, not Cid. It's Reeve. " he stated. "Says he's got a job for us..."

Her eyes lit up at that.

"Better be after tomorrow..." she muttered. "I've got a gathering to host tonight..."

Cloud smiled, playing off his casual persona before covering the phone once more.

"Don't worry, it is... Just needs some help retrieving a stolen item..."

Tifa smiled.

"Sure. Why not..."

"Yep." Cloud grinned.

Tifa's smile slowly faded as she glanced back up at the clock.

"Wish Cid would get here already... What's taking him so long? Can you believe he ran into Vincent? Perfect timing I'd say."

"Mmhmm...It's been a while.."

The dark-eyed woman smiled, taking a bite out of her stick of celery, her gaze traveling back over to Cloud.


	2. 1st offer

Warning: Sexual Content

* * *

It had been rather unexpected, but the female heroine of Nibelheim could not resist organizing a gathering of everyone who had been involved in the final battle over the fate of the planet. It would be a good opportunity for them to catch up on what had happened over the last few months that they had separated.

He grinned at the old well that had managed to survive the planet's worst threat since Jenova. Not much had changed after all of the drama. Following the initial transition back to normalcy, people eventually started going back to their old habits. The drunks of Midgar's old section started drinking again, the whores started whoring again... Nothing could really change.

He wondered why Tifa had picked today to throw their first party at her bar, inviting the whole group. It was a welcome change. Instead of fighting, they would be feasting.

Cid found himself sighing with content upon realizing that he was already at the door.

Lifting one gloved hand, he pushed the door open. In a corner at one of the large tables Yuffie was busy arranging an elaborate trey of cookies, Cloud out back grilling juicy pieces of speared meat with an almost humorous amount of pride.

Tifa was already mixing drinks while Barret relaxed in one of the chairs, laughing about something with Red XIII. Everyone looked up curiously as the chime above the door clanged.

Tifa and Cloud welcomed both Vincent and Cid wholeheartedly, Yuffie waving as he and Cid settled at the table.

* * *

Just like old times, Vincent more content to keep to himself, occassionally playing the host per Tifa's small requests. 

The former Turk said nothing as he turned to pour Barret some punch, Cid watching him from his seat opposite.

He knew damned well that he hated the stuff, yet the mischevious pilot held up his glass anyway with a sly smile.

"Don't forget me, Vince..."

The quiet gunman turned to him with the pitcher, gaze dropping to his empty glass and staying there as he tilted it. He could feel the pilot's eyes on him and he poured the drink quickly wondering just what the hell the man found so fascinating. He swore he was going to make himself very sparse come the next gathering.

A small voice behind him caught his attention and he pressed his lips thin at the annoying sound.

"Hey, Vinny, you skipped me!"

He said nothing as he walked placidly over to the table and past the small ninja, feeling a flutter in his conscious.

"Vinny?" she inquired again.

Still he said nothing, concentrating inward for a moment, body mechanically finishing what he'd set out to do.

Yuffie got up off of the couch and walked closer, reaching up and snapping her fingers before his face.

"Hey! Vinny!?"

Tifa too looked over at him, this time with concern as she set her glass down on the table before her, Cloud doing the same.

"Vincent?.." her brows furrowed with confusion.

The former Turk continued to refill the pitcher before turning back to the confused group, blinking and shaking his head slightly.

"...Yes. My given name," he then turned to the confused ninja, eyes narrowing but face holding no animosity. "It's the name I tend to respond to..."

Yuffie's expression darkened, Barret and Red roaring with laughter.

"Why you dork! What's the difference!" she huffed.

The quiet gunman sighed as he turned to her with the newly filled pitcher, surprising her by suddenly tilting it over her cup and filling it.

"Hmph!" Yuffie frowned. "..Don't have to be that picky, dork..."

"Yuffie..." Tifa smiled warmly, turning to Cloud and Barret with an inquiry into other matters.

"I bet you let Cid call you anything he wants..." her voice lowered in agitation. Cid nearly choked on his drink, swallowing hard as he caught her last words, looking up at the other man for a reaction.

His eyes widened for a second before he regained himself, willing his expression into that of indifference before drifting over to the window and gazing out at the sky.

For the first hour Cid had been rather adept at keeping an eye out on Vincent, unwilling to take his eyes off of him for fear that he would disappear. He had an awful habit of doing so he noted with a moderate amount of annoyance. Somewhere around 1:30 a.m, the quiet man had slowly drawn back from the lively commotion and friendly festivities to seek solitude.

The beautiful gunman was already by the door looking a little uncomfortable (somewhere around his fifth shot of vodka), and within the next moment the door was closing softly, everyone else oblivious. Setting his drink on the table, Cid excused himself.

* * *

Between small shots of potent drinks and sometime before the room began to sway slowly he found himself thinking about Cid. 

He downed another shot, setting the glass on a small table near the door.  
With unbalanced movements he glanced back at the others to make sure that they weren't paying attention before slipping out the back door.

He promised himself that he would not drink till he passed out, and the world was well on it's way to being nonexistant.

His gaze was on the ground, looking for trip-worthy objects when he suddenly walked into someone.  
Funny... that never happened to him before.

His gaze shot up quickly, but that made the earth spin faster and he swayed, brain slow in registering the arms that went quickly about his waist and back. Reflexively his claw came up to slash at the person. A familiar "Woah!" halting any further action as the figure ducked.

"Hey... take it easy there... S'just me.."

He was led carefully to the side of the building where he was carefully pushed back against the wall, hands on his shoulders steadying him.

"Cid..." he lifted his gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you... here?" he shifted against the dark wall.

"I coulda swore I was invited to the party..." he said sarcastically.

"Oh..." he said softly, feeling uncomfortable. Somehow that made sense to him. He was drunk alright...

Cid peered into his face, smirking at the slight flush of color to the gunman's cheeks. That was rare.

"How many drinks you have? You look just about done fer the night..."

"I am..." his voice was barely audible as they continued to walk to the more secluded side of the building, Vincent painstakingly careful. The noise from the party faded. Cid watched him for a moment, the man's movements noticeably slow, but somehow sensual. "I'm fine..." Vincent tried to nod as he leaned back against the wall, his head merely drooping close to his chest instead. Cid twirled his cigarette betweeen his fingers smugly before lighting it.

"So... what have you been up to these days?"

"Research..." he answered, feeling a litte disoriented. Perhaps he HAD drank too much.

"What's on your mind?" Cid's voice was a little rough as he put it to his lips.

"Nothing..."

Cid sighed audibly, taking a puff of the small cigarette.

"Really? Doesn't look that way..."

Cid watched as the other man's head fell forward, eyes heavily lidded as he stared down at the ground. "It's nothing..." he stated as he felt his surroundings tilt. He paused for all of one minute, searching through his conscious for the threat he was so accustomed to greeting... Only there was darkness. Emptyness.. His eyes widened for a second, Cid watching him curiously.

"Tell me..." the pilot encouraged.

The quiet gunman shook his head, gaze on the ground. No one wanted to hear about how he'd been butchered countless times in his dreams.

Cid drew closer for some reason, reaching up and tentatively putting his hand upon his shoulder.

"You may not think it, but you're alive for a reason..."

"Alive..." he looked over at the hand on his shoulder through long dark lashes, head lolling in his drunken state. "Hmph... Really.."

Vincent sighed for the umpteenth time, movements slow.

"I know it bothers ya.." the hand on his shoulder trailed up slowly... calculated ...cupping the side of his face carefully. The gunman looked up into the pilot's bright blue eyes.

"Is that what you'd have me believe..."

Vincent turned his face away, rejecting his touch, his gaze shifting over at the dark buildings beyond.

"Yeah..."

"I know what you want.." Vincent refused to look over at the pilot, his gaze unfocussing.

"Do you really, Vince?"  
Cid stepped closer to him, dropping his cigarette on the ground and crushing it under one dark boot.

"It's not about my health.."

Cid leaned forward as he put his hands on either side of the narrow waist. "Well nah, have ya thought about it, Vince?" his voice lowered.

"No." Vincent dead panned as he put his hand over Cid's, halting him, the pilot smiling profusely.

The former Turk raised a brow.

"...What's so amusing..." his voice lowered, the pilot shaking his head.

"Yuffie's right."

"What about?"

Cid sighed with content.

"You always let me call you Vince."

Vincent shook his head.

"What of it."

"You don't let everyone else do it."

"And?"

The pilot brought his hand up to the other man's face slowly, caressing one smooth cheek before sifting back into the soft dark locks.

"And its cute..."

The former Turk shook his head. "What does that have to do with-Mmm.."

Before he could finish he felt the familiar warm lips against his own and he sighed, struggling to focus. Cid's lips closed over the perfect mouth several times. After a few precious seconds, the pilot pulled back, indulging in the heavily lidded gaze that greeted him. "I like that..." Cid breathed.

A slight crease formed between the dark brows, a hint of confusion in the narrowed ruby eyes.

The pilot tilted his head. "That look in your eyes... What's it? Arousal"  
Vincent swallowed, eyes locked on the bright ones before him. Both said nothing as the pilot leaned forward once again, slowly pressing his lips to the gunman's. The former Turk inhaled sharply as he felt the hot and wet muscle of a curious tongue gliding against his lips. He inadvertently parted them in surprise.

A soft moan escaped him as Cid slipped his tongue in the exact same time as he pressed his hips against his.

Vincent's entire body shuddered as the arousal began to intensify, Cid's mouth finding its way to his neck as he unbuckled the straps to his collar.

He paused in between nipping at the smooth skin of his collar, reveling in the soft moans the beautiful man was having trouble muffling. "Feel good?"

Vincent sighed, shaking his head. "You want it?." Cid breathed against him, his hands reaching as he intertwined his fingers in his. He smirked, wedging his leg between the lean thighs. The former Turk gasped, eyes rolling back.

"I-... Ugh..." The world was spinning as he sank to the ground with the pilot.

"It's alright.." the pilot sighed as he pulled himself atop the former Turk. Vincent's eyes fluttered as the pilot nudged the sensitive organ, igniting his desire.

"Is it..." the younger man sighed as Cid brushed his hips against his. He could feel his reserve fading away as his hand came up behind the pilot's head, pulling him down and kissing him of his own volition.

Cid rocked his hips against the gunman's, feeling the bulge in the dark pants harden against him.

"You said a month back...you weren't ready.." he stated, spreading his knees on either side of the man and lowering his hips to rub against his groin.

The young man's eyes rolled dazedly for a moment before coming to rest on Cid's. "I'm...not"  
The pilot shook his head, rubbing against him at a different angle, causing him to gasp.

"Heh... damn hard as ya wanna be...and still refusin'..."

Vincent swallowed in between gasps, trying to find his breath, mind spinning. "My body does a lot..I don't agree with... Means nothing.."

Cid chuckled, leaning forward to kiss his neck. "Means you want it..." He then slipped his hand down between them, finding his way beneath the dark pants and grasping him. The gunman's teeth clenched and he inhaled sharply, body trembling.  
"...badly..." Cid smirked.

Vincent suddenly shook his head, arms coming up to push the other man away.  
"No..."

"What'sa matter? Scared?"

He shook his head.

"Don't you trust me, Vince"  
The former Turk rolled onto his side as the pilot backed away, closing his eyes and making an effort to control his breathing, claw scraping the ground.

"You're wrong..." he managed. "It's me..."

Cid frowned at this, sighing as he looked to the heavens.

"What about ya"  
The former Turk waited a moment for his breathing to calm before pushing himself up to a sitting position.

"Something... I don't know..."

Cid grunted. "Tch.. Don't think I can handle you? Heh.. I can"  
He stood there, watching as the younger man slowly picked himself up, feet still unsteady as he braced himself against the wall. After a moment he glanced over at the pilot.

"What?"

Cid smiled. "Where ya stayin' tonaight"  
The former Turk averted his gaze.

"I don't know..."

Satisfied, the blonde-haired man cocked his head. "Figures... You don't know anything lately do ya"  
The dark-haired man's eyes narrowed for a split second as he stared at the smug pilot. "Spend the night at my place."

The beautiful gunman merely stared, the pilot continuing, "You're too damn smashed to make it far down town.."

He hesitated for a moment before his eyes found Cid's. "Hm.."

* * *

It had been a LONG walk back to the ship, but worthwhile the pilot noted as he finished strapping in the impaired gunman. 

He sat there for a moment as the engine hummed, taking note of the time. It was already 2 a.m, and the party wasn't even close to being over. He might as well just inform the rest of the gang before Tifa started to worry.

Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the PHS, dialing it smugly.

Predictably, Tifa answered, her voice still carrying the hint of laughter in it.

Oh the party wouldn't be over for quite a while.

After he had been strayed thrice from the topic of his call, he quickly blurted out that Vincent would be spending the night at his home down in Rocket Town and not to worry.

"Is someone taking our company away?" she laughed.

"Heh... Vince is spendin' the night with me so we won't be back tonaight."

"Leavin' already?"

"Ya damn right...I've got some work to catch up on...We had a good time though... Before Vincent here passed out."

More giggles ensued as Tifa relayed the message back to the others whereupon an array of suppressed laughter sounded.

"..What's so damn funny?"

"Nothin'..." Tifa giggled from the other end. She then held the PHS up toward the group. "Everyone say g'night to Vincent and Cid!"

A collective, "G'night!!" echoed in the other end of the device, the pilot smiling.

"Yeah.. yeah... yall get some rest... don't let the young'uns stay up too late."

Seeing no trouble with that, she allowed him to end the conversation, and that was that.


	3. Folklore

It wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be as he carried the unconscious young man into the quiet house, kicking the door closed behind him. He smiled sheepishly, forgetting his consideration and hoping he hadn't awakened any of the neighbors. 

Holding Vincent in his arms he briefly contemplated the couch before shaking his head. No... he wanted him closer.

He walked carefully into his room and placed him gently down onto his bed, watching the man's peaceful expression as the moonlight shone down onto his form through the blinds. He had passed out long before they had arrived.

After discarding his own boots and jacket into a corner of his closet, he went to take Vincent's own, finding no resistance.

He ended up relieving him of his cape and boots, resting them on a chair in the corner. He folded his clothing atop the nearby dresser before deciding to change into something lighter and more comfortable. Slipping into the bed beside him was little more than an after thought as he lay on his side beside him, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

His right hand came up slowly as he gently brushed a few stray locks from the smooth face. He smiled as he drew back.  
He could rest now.

He only remembered lying back for a moment, Vincent curled up on his side behind him and then he had fallen asleep.

* * *

He hadn't realized that he wasn't getting enough air until he sat up with a gasp. He raised his face from the pillow that had been smothering him for a brief second to catch his breath before letting it fall back into the hot damp imprint that it had made. All at once he had felt that his whole body was uncomfortably warm. 

"Mmmph..."

It had sounded more like a sigh. Blinking slowly he raised his head again as he began trying to gather himself. He soon realized that he was on his stomach. A few black strands of hair were obscuring his vision.

He reached up to brush the hair aside with both hands, feeling a little groggy. He turned back over onto his stomach, surprised by the familiar yet wrong scent of the sheets. This was nothing he owned, but he knew that scent.

It was Cid's.  
His eyes widened for a split second.

Had he?

No... He didn't feel any different.

He rose slowly, glancing at the man before turning to find the bathroom.

* * *

There were brief moments of darkness, a battle, and then flying around in his Highwind. Nothing he hadn't dreamt of before, regardless he found himself awakening hours before schedule. 

He had awakened to the familiar feeling of being watched, his eyes fluttering tiredly before the moonlight helped them to focus. He sat up slowly to the site of Vincent perched upon his windowsill eyes glowing eeriely as he sat comfortably, one leg propped up on the sill, the other hanging in the room.

He scratched his head pensively, wondering if the gunman was entirely sober yet.

"Vince?"

"Hm.."

"What are you doin over there?"

He looked down solemnly before turning to look out of the open blinds, long dark locks illuminated by the pale moon light, movements heavy.

"Need you ask.." his voice was soft.

The pilot rose unhurried, turning his legs over the side of the bed and anticipating the feel of the carpet under his feet before standing. "Unless it's somethin' I need to know 'bout."

Vincent made no motion to acknowledge him as the pilot pulled up a chair beside him.

" Bed ain't comfortable enough?"

"It's not that..." the quiet man shook his head slowly.

"What then?"

"Couldn't sleep." the former Turk stated while continuing to gaze out at the moon.

"What happened?" the pilot studied him cautiously.

Vincent turned to the other man slowly, expression calm as his eyes met his.

"A nightmare."

Cid shook his head.

"What about?"

"Nothing."

"I don't know why ya can't tell me, Vince..."

There was no answer, the pilot sighing as he got up and made his way back over to the bed.

"You're gonna be tired in the morning. Come on... go to bed." he motioned as he pat the mattress invitingly.

"There will be nightmares. I wont sleep..."

"There wont be if I'm holdin' ya..."

Vincent watched him out of the corner of his eye.

"...What...?"

Cid struggled to suppress a chuckle.

Must have caught him off guard.

"It's folklore. Care to give it a try?" he watched him as he pulled the sheet back a little, inviting him.

"...Nn...No..."

"What've ya gotta lose? Much as I'd like to take you here and now, I wont if you say no. You've got my word, Vince."

He watched him hesitately.

"I don't want you to do anything."

The blonde-haired man chuckled. "Afraid you'll like it too much? Afraid you won't be able-a tell me to stop?"

"No."

He laughed softly.

"Get over here so I can sleep..."

"You can."

"Not if I'm worryin 'bout you sittin in the winda all night."

The younger man shook his head.

"Don't worry."

"Tch...just get over here before I come and getcha," he smirked.

"You will do no such thing."

"Because you want to anyway."

"You don't know what I want..."

"C'mon... Just fer tonaight. You'll have nuthin to do with me tomorrow... You've got nuthina lose but a night of nightmares, Vince."

Vincent sighed and then all was silent for several moments, Cid grimacing as he shook his head and pulled the sheet back up, turning onto his side away from him.

"I gave you my word... You can freeze in the winda all night if it makes ya feel better," with that he settled down, refusing to give him anymore encouragement.

Vincent's eyes traveled over the pilot's resting form thoughtfully before slowly creeping down from the windowsill and approaching the bed, hair spilling forward as he hung his head low.

The gunman hesitated once more before he climbed in slowly, refusing to look at him as he slipped in beside him and then turned his back to him. He couldn't believe he had agreed to this. As he turned his cheek to the waiting pillow he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent. It was somewhat woodsy, but tinged with the smell of whatever soap the man used, and carried the slightest hint of smoke.

It was all Cid.

He felt the pilot shift suddenly and then strong arms closed around him and he inhaled sharply, body tensing.  
The gunman unconsciously held his breath for a moment as he felt himself pulled comfortably against the older man.

"Relax..." he encouraged, "I'm not gonna try to take ya..." His right hand came up to sift through the dark locks.  
He smiled, brows drawing down a little. "It's softer... what'dya do to it?"

"Showered while you slept..." his voice was quieter, laced with lethargy.

He let out a sigh of exaltation as he realized after the first few tense moments that Cid was a man of his word, and if he told you he wasn't going to do something, then he wasn't going to do it.

Other than that... everything else was fair game.

He closed his eyes, breathing becoming deeper and more even. Cid smiled from behind him, twirling a few dark silken strands around his fingers to feel them slip away repeatedly. After several moments of this the figure before him spoke... voice barely above a whisper.

"Cid..."

The pilot acknowledged him with a grunt, already aware of what he was going to say.

"... Stop it."

There was another grunt as Cid shifted once more, arm falling around the quiet man's torso.

The former Turk sighed in relief. Despite his mind's protests, he slowly relaxed and closed his eyes, falling sound asleep in the pilot's arms.


	4. Foolin' Around

The next morning both parties awoke significantly late, Cid rising first and leaving Vincent to sleep in late. A smile of amusement finding its way across his features. 

He looked back at the figure sleeping peacefully on his bed from the doorway of his bathroom and chuckled.

Clad only in a dark green towel he walked back into his room and opened the top drawer of the dresser beside his bed, finding a sleeveless white tee and black cargo pants. He set them out before reaching in the dresser and taking out a morning smoke on the side. Today would be great he noted as the sun streamed in through the blinds. He had just finished slipping on the tee when he noticed a pair of crimson eyes focused on him from under dark lashes.

He smiled, taking his cigarette from the trey on his dresser and laughed.

From there it was a long morning, Cid dying to know the answer to one question that had been nagging at him since he first awoke.

Were there any nightmares?

But Vincent had said nothing of the rest of the night, content to dress himself quietly without so much as a glance. He ended up leaving the house first to go for a walk, Cid assuming he would be fine on his own around town.

Before he could finish making himself some breakfast the phone had rang.

Tifa called. Turned out that she and Cloud would be going to meet Reeve in Kalm to investigate a report of a stolen item.

It was nearly noon by the time Cid had grabbed his jacket and set foot outside of his house, welcoming the bright blue sky and cool wind. He had taken a walk around the premeses before he found the lone gunman perched upon the steps leading to where his new rocket was under construction, gazing up at the bright patchy cumulus that littered the heavens.

The pilot almost hesitated as he watched the other man gazing. It made him wonder just what he was thinking.

Vincent turned to him suddenly, looking a bit taken aback as the pilot made his way toward him. He stood.

"Damn sure is a beautiful day, isn't it?" the pilot grinned as he put his hand to his head pensively, surveying the bright sky.

Vincent nodded slowly.

"I got a call a little while ago. I need to make a few deliveries today...You up for a lil sightseein?"

He watched the pretty face before him go pensive, gaze falling to the ground.

"How long will it take?"

He smiled, cigarette pressed gently to the side of his mouth.

"Most of the day. Why? You got somewhere you needin ta be?"

"No..."

"Do you actually wanna come with me? It's somethin eh do."

"You don't mind?"

"Course not," the pilot shrugged it off in a nonchalant manner. There was more silence as the former Turk contemplated the idea before reaching a decision.

What harm would it do.

"Alright..."

The pilot nodded.

"Then we best be headin out now dontcha think?"

The pilot was genuinely amused by the smile that Vincent rewarded him with.

* * *

Vincent found himself entertained by the scenery of the many lands he hadn't seen since meteor.

Cosmo Canyon still had that age-old flare to it that somehow managed to calm him. It looked much better in person than from the sky he concluded.

The waters were just as blue as ever, and Cid took his sweet time in passing every landmark that interested his lovely passenger.

They had actually had a good time with the deliveries, Vincent more than surprised at the action of having been tipped for helping an older woman with one of her packages.

Somehow, working along side the pilot made him feel...good, so much so that when the sun began to set, and all of the deliveries had been made, he almost didn't want to leave After the last package had been delivered, Vincent took the seat beside the pilot, Cid grasping the controls with all of the ease of one practically born to fly.

He tried not to stare in awe. So many controls, and Cid knew exactly how to handle each and every one.

He and his Highwind were one.

"So…" Cid spoke casually as the craft rose into the air.

He looked at him.

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

"No." Vincent admit.

"You doin anything tomorrow night?"

He could tell where this was going.

"No."

"Would you mind going out for something to…"

"No." He said quickly. Too quickly, and it made Cid smile all the more at just how stubborn he was.

"I have plans." Vincent avoided his gaze.

"All of the sudden? Tomorrow night?"

"What about it?"

"You ain't got plans."

"Excuse me?"

"You just said a minute ago you didn't have plans, sweetheart.."

"I do now."

The pilot's eyes narrowed in defeat.

"I'll take you back to Nibelheim then?"

Nibelheim... the mansion...

His mind was briefly clouded with images of the basement. How many times had he dreamed of that basement...of that room with no door...of that cold metal lab table...Hojo and those painful shiny tools...

Something in him lashed out at the brief recollection of the nightmare he had had earlier about that room.

He shut his eyes tight, his voice betraying him.

"No..."

Cid's brows drew down.

"You don't want to go back to Nibelheim?"

Vincen'ts eyes snapped open.

"No. Yes..."

The pilot raised a brow as he focused on the path his craft was taking.

"Okay, sweetheart which one will it be? Nibelheim or my place?"

"Nibelheim."

The former Turk relaxed back into his seat once more as his mind began to wander, thoughts and feelings focussing inward to survey his sanity.  
His eyes became heavily lidded as he searched his mind for signs of anything unusual.

"You ok?" Cid's concerned voice suddenly sounded. He only turned toward him with eyes so emotionless that the older man was momentarily taken aback.

After staring numbly at the older man for a few heart-stopping seconds, Vincent opened his mouth just a crack and diverted his gaze back to the dark night scenery.

"I'm..fine. Just... thinking."

"Oh.." He periodically glanced over at Vincent who seemed to have no interest what so ever in anything he was seeing outside. But then again, how could he. The sun had set.

"Whacha thinkin about?"

"Nothing..."

The older man sighed.

"Vincent, look, I'm not here to judge... You can tell me what's on your mind..."

Vincent's brows drew down in a quandary for a moment before he spoke again.

"You really want to know?"

"No...I just want you to suffer in silence... Suffer real good too.."

Vincent turned to him slowly looking slightly taken aback.

"For God's sake, Vince. Tell me what's botherin' ya. Tell ya what, if I say somethin to offend you, I'll fly you down to the nearest train station and buy you a ticket so you can go wherever ya like without me... Deal?"

...Fair enough...

"I..."

"Yeah?"

He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I've been thinking a lot.."

"Mmhmm... bout what?"

He turned to him the look in his eyes serious as he began to explain.

* * *

There was a strange sense of comfort over the pilot as he walked the former Turk toward his destination, the younger man unsure of his company.

"No...I wanted to make SURE that you got to the mansion alright."

"I know..."

"You sure you'll be alright?"

"Mmhm."

They stood there for a moment, Vincent standing in front of the door, debating on what his parting words should be, and Cid standing before him, one hand in his pocket and the other on his head thoughtfully.

"Good evening..." Vincent declared as he ascended the first stair... looking for a good place to swing the door back.

Don't let him get off so easily, Highwind... He owes you a kiss...

Without so much as a warning, Cid stepped up on the step beside him, the crimson-eyed man looking up to meet his gaze questioningly as he turned the key in the lock.

No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he liked those bright crimson eyes. The younger man turned away, focussing on unlocking the door.

Cid's heart began to beat faster as he stared past the thick lashes and into the eyes that were trying so hard to avoid the gaze.

He leaned in slowly, Vincent's breath hitching even before the initial contact.

He could feel the heat rising from the former Turk's skin as he leaned closer, his mouth a hair's breadth from his own. They stood there like that for a while, Cid too close for comfort, waiting.

He waited, listening to Vincent's breath falter at the surprise of being subjected to such a situation with not so much as a moment for preparation.

The taller man merely stood there immobile until the pilot snaked his hand around his waist, bringing their hips together. He couldn't help but revel in the sigh that the action awarded him. He watched as Vincent's eyes became heavily lidded. He took a step toward him, forcing him to either lose his balance or take a step back, Vincent opting for the latter. In no time at all, Vincent's back was against the door, the pilot's hips firm against his the only sound being their deepened breaths.

"Beautiful..."

Vincent turned his face away at that comment, refusing to give a visual to the feel of Cid's hips against his own and planting his gaze over at a lost mark on the door. The tension was entirely too much to bear as Cid's mouth followed his own. He turned away.

Cid followed his motions but once again, Vincent turned his face away. Cid's mouth made for his own again...slower this time before the other man let out a shaky breath.

"Cid..." Vincent uttered. Cid pushed forward suddenly, locking their mouth's together as he held him by the shoulders, the door swung back under the pressure as they stumbled into the mansion.

"Mph..."

The gunman felt his legs go weak as the pilot slipped his tongue into his mouth. His knees giving out at that, the pilot kissing him expertly.

He moaned at the feel of the light stubble tickling his smooth face.

Cid's hands came around the taller man's waist as he pulled him away from the door, kicking back and closing it as they moved into the entrance. In no time at all Cid had lowered him to the floor, mouth travelling down his neck, Vincent whimpering and gasping excitedly, fidgeting, trying desperately to get a hold of himself. Cid groaned as he came to rest over him, deepening the kiss as he pushed his arousal against him.

Vincent cried out at that, struggling to summon some control as the pilot rubbed against him.

No...

The pilot muffled his moans, pressing his mouth to the gunman's as he held him down, Vincent making small pained noises, arms growing weak around Cid's back.

He could not deny the feelings of pleasure that coursed through him. Cid's hands were all over him, sifting through the long dark pool of raven locks, massaging his hips, his thighs...

The sound of the wind outside suddenly rattled one of the windows nearby.

Startled, the taller man tore away from the kiss, breath heavy.

"Cid... no more..." he pushed the other man off of him and stood, grasping the crumbling nearby banister to gain his balance, surprised that everything had happened so fast.

Cid sighed, a soft smile on his face as he scratched his head, Vincent still catching his breath. Neither had time to muse before the PHS rang, Cid pulling the little device out of his pocket and answering it. He looked to the beautiful gunman in a slight panic before hanging up.

"We gotta go... Cloud and Tifa need help, now..."

The quiet gunman nodded, getting up without question.


	5. Threat

Vincent had leapt from the ship first, dust rising in his wake as he ran toward the two figures battling a few yards away, Cid pulling away to find a safer place to land under the moonlight. There was no time for greeting, he merely took a vacant spot beside Tifa and hurriedly cast a regen spell and tossed an X-potion to each of them, turning to Cloud once the man caught his breath. 

"Thanks, man..."

"What is this?" he inquired looking up at the strange creature that they were battling. It was human in stature, standing on two legs, but resembled something that had just crawled up from hell... complete with dangerous looking dark claws, tattered bat-like wings, razor-sharp teeth, and a glare that could stop the sun from rising.

"I don't know!" Tifa said quickly, preparing to attack. Vincent positioned himself closer to the demon, battle ready. The dark-winged creature appeared to grin before focussing it's attention on the former Turk. A sudden feeling of nausea washed over the quiet man and his eyes became heavily lidded for just a second before he shook his head, straining to focus on the monster in front of him, a monster that suspiciously resembled...

"Get ready..." Cloud warned.

Vincent awaited his turn before twirling his weapon in his habit before his fingers locked on it, a single shot ringing out and catching the beast in the chest.

Almost immediately, the monster lunged forward, colliding head-on with the quiet gunman, knocking him several yards away, dangerously close to the cliff's edge, his weapon lying in the grass a few yards away.

"Vincent!" Tifa shouted as he struggled beneath the creature, both her and Cloud racing toward them.

Cloud ran faster as the creature brought it's hands to the gunman's throat cutting off his air supply. He paused, ready to cast a summon when the creature looked up at him with large golden eyes, blasting both him and Tifa a good distance away.

"Vincent!" Cloud yelled as he watched the figure grow further out of his reach.

Vincent clawed desperately at the creature as it held him into the ground, but it simply would not budge.

Words entered his mind. It was a dark voice; familiar.

His vision began to swirl and darken around the edges as he lost consciousness, his hands falling limp at his sides.

A large spear suddenly imbedded itself in the creature's torso, eliciting a terrible cry as the force of it successfully knocked it away from the former Turk and over the cliff. It began to claw desperately at the earth, searching for something to grab a hold of.

"Vincent!" Cid shouted as he ran toward him. To the pilot's horror, the creature pulled at the former Turk, Cid's heart nearly stopping at the site of both tumbling over the edge of the cliff and plunging into the deep waters below.

The pilot briefly chanced a glance back at Cloud as Tifa was just helping him to his feet.

"Cloud, get off your ass and get my ship, now!"

"Cid! What the hell are you-"

"I'm gonna go get Vince! Meet me down by the shore!" with that he dived off the edge, Tifa screaming in protest.

* * *

Cid surfaced first, grasping the former Turk firmly by the arm and fighting through the water, struggling to bring him to shore. Whatever had been trying to take him out, he was sure had perished in its watery grave. 

He never let go as he was finally able to grab hold of a sturdy root, bearing down on it as he hauled the lithe man upon the grassy earth. He landed with a soft thump upon the cool earth, body limp.

Cid coughed as he pulled himself up beside him, gasping as he cleared water from his passage. He grunted as he pulled himself to a sitting position, still trying to grasp what had happened.

"God damn... you alright, Vince?"

He turned to the man beside him when there was no response, the mysterious gunman lying limp.

"Vincent!" His eyes widened as he recognized his paling condition, eyes lingering just a second longer on his soft blue -tinged lips. He leaned closer, placing two fingers to his neck, panic in his eyes upon finding no pulse.

"God damn-it, C'mon, Vincent! Wake up!" he shook him...sifting through his items quickly to find something to revive him.

After a moment, the body beneath him jolted, gagging on the salty water.

"Vince?!" he pulled him up by the shoulders quickly, watching as reverse peristalsis aided the former Turk in dispelling the water from his lungs.

After a few painful heaves, the gunman came to the realization that he was being supported by someone and he swallowed, brain registering the arms around him and the comforting feel of a strong hand rubbing soothingly up and down his back.

He was only able to draw in a shaky breath for a moment, eyes closing as his body began to calm.

He caught the scent of smoke.

"Cid..." he spoke softly.

"Yeah?" the pilot answered.

He sighed, content with the knowledge of his presence.

"What...happened..."

"You fell off the cliff."

"Hm.."

"I had to get ya.."

The former Turk's eyes widened as he moved himself away from his touch, eyes finding his.

"WHAT?"

The pilot smiled as he held the gaze.

"I went after ya."

Vincent shook his head.

That foolish, rash, idiot. He could have been killed... "You didn't have to..." the dark-haired man sighed. "I would have washed up somewhere and revived..."

Cid sat back to look at him, brow raised. "Well I wasn't gonna take that chance..."

The sound of an approaching engine suddenly rumbled in the air causing both to look up.

"Ah... right on time..." Cid grinned as he watched his ship. His face fell at the site of his aircraft landing less than mediocre.

It was Cloud afterall.

He grimaced as the hatch opened up, the spikey-haired blonde rushing toward him, Tifa behind him.

"Hey are you guys alright!" he shouted as he approached, Vincent slowly rising to his feet and almost collapsing.

"Easy there, sweetheart..." Cid cautioned as he swung an arm around his waist to support him.

"Don't call me that..." he warned.

"You need to rest first," the pilot countered.

"He's right..." Tifa added as she came to stand before them. "That was quite a drop and I'm sure it was quite a swim..." She turned to the pilot suddenly. "And YOU... You're lucky to be alive as well..."

Cid shrugged his shoulders.

"Wasn't no big deal..."

"Right..." the small woman sighed.

"Did you guys find what you were lookin for?" Cid inquired, making sure to focus on his balance.

"Oh, that's right...!" Cloud interrupted, putting a hand to his head, thoughtfully. "We'd better return this to Reeve ASAP..." he declared, patting his right pocket, the pilot briefly glancing at it. "That monster had stolen it. Would you like to see it?" the younger man smiled, pulling the shiny object from his pocket. Cid peered down into his open palm, raising his brow at the cream-colored ball.

"Looks like a ball of white chocolate..." Cid grinned, taking a closer look. "What the hell is it?"

"Some special rock that the lab's tryina turn into a defense weapon."

The pilot grunted.

"Good luck with that..." he chuckled. He was suddenly startled by the feeling of the man against him cringing and he turned to him quickly.

"Vincent..? You alright?"

"I feel like I'm going to-" without warning, the former Turk collapsed completely, eyes rolling back.

"Vincent!" Tifa's voice raised in concern as Cid caught him, slipping his hands under his knees to lift him off the ground.

"Is he alright?" Cloud raised a brow.

Cid paused for a moment, putting his ear close to the gunman's face, content by the soft sound of him breathing.

"He's alive. Exhausted..." he surmised.

"Are you sure?" Tifa's eyes were full of concern. "Maybe we should take him to the doctor..."

Cloud raised a brow.

"He'd give us hell for that, Tiff."

"Yeah... It's ok. I'll watch him..." Cid volunteered.

"By yourself?"

"Course. I can handle 'em. In the meantime, why don't I drop you guys downtown at Reeve's office."

"Thanks..." Cloud smiled.

"We'd really appreciate it," Tifa added.

"No problem..." the pilot smirked as he headed toward the ship, Vincent in his arms.

* * *

Cloud strained to keep his temper down, Tifa putting a warm hand on his shoulder as he practically sneered at the red-head leaning casually against the wall opposite, the man seated in the desk between them ignoring their little feud. 

"You found it?" Reeve inquired, turning to the spikey-haired blonde.

Tifa nudged him, momentarily distracting him.

"I heard him, Tifa... " he then turned to the man. "Yes. We found it." he declared, taking the small white egg-shaped rock from his pocket. "This is what you were looking for?"

The older man smiled.

"Yes... I can't thank you enough..."

Cloud refused to look at Reno, the red-head twirling his night stick in his hands distractingly.

"By the way, what exactly is this thing?"

"It's one of the few specimens that broke off of meteor."

"Does it have any magic abilities? Is this some sort of materia?" the blonde asked, turning the stone over in his hand before setting neatly upon the man's desk.

"We're not quite sure..."

"We went through hell to get it, y'know. Tell me it was worth while..."

"Cloud..." Tifa rolled her eyes, the red-haired Turk slinking around to stand beside her.

"I'll tell you what it can do if you'll have a drink with me, little lady..."

The small woman raised a brow.

"... Don't test me..."

He shook his head.

"That's no way to speak to a Turk..." he smiled, moving uncomfortably close.

Cloud was between them before he could blink.

"Don't. Even. Think about it." his tone lowered defensively.

"Oh..." Reno raised a brow. "So you're tappin' that huh?"

Tifa's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Enough." Reeve's voice warned. "Reno... I'm warning you." he turned to the blonde, "Cloud, what of Mr. Valentine?"

"He's resting."

Reno chuckled audibly, Tifa turning to him with a look of complete and utter bewilderment and angry surprise.

Reno grimaced at the woman before twirling his nightstick again.

Cloud waited until the fiery-haired Turk gathered himself before continuing, Tifa turning slowly from the man, watching him from the corner of her eye with a look of mistrust.

"Cid went down to get him and pretty much saved him. Other than being a little weak, he's recovering fine."

"That's good to hear."

"You wanna tell me what this is really about?" Cloud inquired.

Reeve sighed, standing slowly as he pulled the object to the center of his desk before turning his back to them.

"To be honest, we don't quite know everything. What we DO know is that a group of people, survivors of meteor, have been gathering together. From what my Turks have found, they've been very interested in your friend, Vincent. We've been watching them for months."

Cloud's brows drew down suspiciously.

"What do you mean, interested in Vincent?"

The older man sighed.

"More specifically, what's inside of him. These people have gotten ahold of Shinra classified documents."

"How did they manage to do that?" Tifa inquired, recalling the hardships that she and the others faced infiltrating the intimidating building during their rescue of Aeris. It hadn't been easy.

"Well," Reeve licked his lips, "When meteor tore down some of Shinra headquarters, a few files were lost..."

"What kinda files?" Cloud raised a brow.

"Documents pertaining to an ancient Cetra history."

"So, they know about the Cetra... Why should they be interested in Vincent?" Cloud frowned.

"It's what they know about the Cetra. What the history tells them about this creature the Cetra were familiar with."

"Creature? What creature?" Cloud frowned.

"We're still looking into it. Like I said, we don't know everything."

"Reeve, what does this rock have to do with all of this?" Tifa spoke softly.

"Wait a minute. Why did that creature steal the rock?" Cloud inquired.

"It must know how to use it."

"Tell me, what exactly does this rock have the power to do?" Tifa asked quickly.

"We're not quite sure of its purpose.. but from tests, once activated it seems to have the effect of disturbing the mind..."

All were silent before Tifa shook her head.

"I see." she spoke softly. Cloud turning to her.

"You see what?" he asked.

"They want to do something to Vincent."

Reno chuckled from his corner.

"Everyone wants to do something to Vincent..." he smiled, Tifa raising a brow.

Cloud suddenly took a step back, hand coming to his head in distress as answers entered his mind, the marble-like materia glowing. Tifa stepped up to him quickly as he closed his eyes tight as the onslaught of knowledge from the planet's mysterious conscience contacted him.

"Cloud? Are you alright?"

"Tifa..." he swallowed.

"I'm right here...What is it, Cloud?"

"That creature wasn't stealing the rock so that he could use it. He was stealing it so that some one else could use it for him."

Tifa bit her bottom lip as Cloud regained his composure.

"We won't let him." he declared, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know what to do," she admit. "How do we go about telling the others? They're not gonna like this... Right when we thought everyone was over meteor, we had to deal with geostigma. And once that ended, there was the deepground charade. And now that they're through... this?"

"We're just going to have to make sure that this new rock doesn't get too close to Vincent and stop these new people from getting ahold of him."

"I don't think that will be very easy," she grimaced.

"You know what, Tifa?" Cloud smiled, scratching his head. "I think we've got some adventure on our hands..."

"Right..." the small woman's smile faded as she turned toward the exit. "I think we'd better get going. Cloud... Let's go back to Midgar. We'll call Cid when we get back."

"Yeah..." he nodded.

"C'mon before we miss the next train..."

He glared at the flame-haired Turk on the way out, Tifa rolling her eyes.


	6. Nightmares

Vincent found himself on his back once again, looking up into the lone bright source of light. The light of a single bulb would have been considered poor lighting to Professor Gast, but he was dead now, wasn't he... 

The scientist above him would make do with whatever he could find... even if it meant using a pocket knife instead of a scalpel.

He winced in memory of the incision in his left side.

It hurt to breathe, and he wished the pain would cease. He breathed slowly, his vision swirling before his eyes. It was then that the object of his nightmares appeared before him.

He looked over at him through heavily lidded eyes as he placed a warm hand on his chest.

This time he managed to whisper his name, although the words were a strain on his body.

"Hojo..."

The scientist's thin glasses caught the light of the bulb above, concealing sharp narrowed eyes behind two ovals of brightness.

Vincent squinted to try to see behind them and through to his expression, failing.

The scientist grinned as he pushed apart the flaps to the dark suit he wore to expose his patient's smooth chest. The bare hand firmly tested the area.

Oh god... he wasn't even wearing gloves this time...

The rest of his clothing was loosened.

Hojo smiled as he drew a fine syringe from the folds of his lab coat, watching his patient's eyes on the object with an abnormal interest.

Vincent stared oddly, his eyes bright with fear as he watched the Shinra scientist insert the needle into his chest.

Each second was a heartbeat as he watched the clear tainted liquid inside slowly diminish.

Within seconds the needle was withdrawn and the area cleansed a little. Hojo then began to press against the area meticulously, Vincent suddenly having the urge to vomit.

"W-What are you doing" he managed softly.

"Making sure that Jenova-"

He could remember the shock in hearing the name of that cursed organism, his heart beating faster.

He ignored the rest of what the scientist had said, his mind racing with fear. Weren't members of SOLDIER the only ones who ever experienced Jenova? He wasn't a member of SOLDIER. He was a Turk. A mere Turk who had gotten in way over his head, caught up with the woman that was destined to ruin him in a twisted triangle of justice, science and unrequited love.

"J-Jenova..." his voice was barely above a whisper.

The scientist ignored him for a moment.

"I just want the new cells to help the others that have already established homeostasis with your body..."

Old? New? He had driven his mind to the brink of shock just pondering what could be the result of what the scientist had done to him.

Moments later, he felt the painful incision. He watched with shock as the scientist proceeded to enter the chest cavity. Sharp tools were inserted, and his eyes rolled back as he watched his own blood splatter on him.

The metallic smell of the ruby substance was soon potent in the air.

A white cloth was wiped harshly across his face. He looked up into the mad man's expression, the scientist too occupied with ripping him apart from the inside out to even bother to meet his gaze.

"H-Hojo..." he said laboriously, his eyes widening at the site of him extricating his hands from his entrails, wishing with every hope that he would soon faint.

"Hojo... W-What are you... doing... to me..." he managed.

"The cells have to be stimulated..." the scientist mumbled.

Almost immediately he felt as though he couldn't breathe, a sudden weight settling upon his lungs. He struggled to stay conscious as he watched with horror as Hojo's bloodly hands continued their work.

Suddenly, the scientist jerked deep and he could feel a pulling sensation. His head fell back against the table with a dull thud as he beheld his own heart beating unabashedly in the madman's right hand.

Hojo was suddenly leaning over him, peering down into his face. He tapped him on the nose playfully with the scalpel, leaving a patter of blood on his face.

He smiled.

"I know you're in shock, but Jenova wont let you die..."

Vincent lay there, mouth hanging agape, eyes staring blankly.

"Don't worry, Valentine... If I had wanted you dead, I wouldn't have aimed at your arm..."

He leaned closer, till his face was just centimeters from his unwilling patient's.

"Your life is in my hands... You see.." with that he withdrew far enough for Vincent to see his heart, still beating fiercely within the scientist's grip. It took him all of the nerve he could muster for him to be able to focus properly on it, but the action only caused him to swoon, his eyes rolling back and letting the darkness and Hojo's incessant laugh consume him.

YOU ARE ALL MINE NOW VALENTINE...

He tried to speak. He wanted to protest, but it was impossible, or was it. He tried to get up, he had to do something to get out of this. There were suddenly hands on his arms, or were those the straps?

Vincent suddenly awoke to the echo of his own scream. He tried to sit up, realizing that there was an abnormal weight resting over him, keeping his hands from clutching at his chest frantically.

His eyes widened for a moment as he recognized the pilot straddling him.

He grimaced.

"Cid..." his muscles relaxed.

The pilot's eyes widened.

"Vincent?" he questioned. "You back down 'a earth now?"

Vincent slowly sat up as the pilot moved away.

He put his hand to his head dazedly.

"Well? You alright?" the pilot demanded an answer.

Vincent turned to him with a blank expression as he moistened his lips.

"Fine..." he then took a look at his surroundings, surprised to find himself back in Rocket Town, tangled in the pilot's bed sheets.

Cid meanwhile had retreated to a chair in the corner as he watched the other man.

"W-What happened" the quiet gunman suddenly inquired.

Cid frowned.

"You tell me..."

Vincent raised a brow, the pilot smirking.

"Was it that nightmare again?"

Vincent looked down at the floor.

"Yeah." he explained.

After a moment of silence he spoke again.

"I don't need to be here..." he stated.

Cid looked up at him pensively. That wasn't what he wanted.

"No." he said simply. "You're not going anywhere..."

"Hm?" Vincent regarded him warily.

"Yep..."

"Why?"

"Because somethin ain't right and you're holdin out out me. So yeah, you're not going anywhere until I think you're well enough."

Vincent scoffed at him as he stood.

"Hm..."

There was a glimmer in the pilot's eyes that the former Turk did not like.

Vincent suddenly took a few steps forward when he suddenly lost his equilibrium and began to swoon. A pain that felt like something pushing through his conscience assaulted him. He never even saw the pilot move from the chair. He felt himself falling slowly before he realized that there were hands around his waist, slowly lowering him back down onto the bed.

He was barely aware of him as his back hit the sheets, focussing his energy inward to try to understand what was wrong.

This was no good.

He couldn't risk going anywhere until he was sure that he was alright.  
"What's wrong, Vince?" Cid was leaning over him, his right palm pressed gingerly to his hot forehead.

He could have sworn he was fit to leave, but undoubtedly, he had a fever.

Vincent shut his eyes and clenched his teeth as a pain in the back of his conscious lashed out at him.

Cid was nervous, he could feel it.

He gasped as he tried to sit back up, but his stubborn comrade only pushed him back down.

"Just rest, god damn it..." the pilot cursed as he took a cool damp cloth from the bowl to his right and pat Vincent's forehead gently.

Vincent frowned at this.

He didn't want anyone to take care of him.

"Stop." he commanded as he tried once again to sit up.

But Cid was just as stubborn, and with unwonted force, managed to put him down on his back.

Cid loosened his grip when he felt the gunman's muscles relax slowly.

There had been an argument that day, and Cid being the stubborn man that he was refused to leave the lone gunman unsupervised after his earlier relapse.

"Ain't no way I'm leavin'."

"I'm fine..."

"I ain't buyin it..."

"Do what you will..."

"Good..."

There had been another ten minutes of silent torture as Vincent sat upon the edge of the bed, back turned to him as the pilot changed into something more comfortable for the night.

He felt the gentle pressure of the bed give behind him as Cid sat down upon it.

There had been silence for a good long uncomfortable hour before Cid turned partially toward the figure sitting just a few feet from him.

"Ya know Vince, I'm sorry for being so stubborn. It ain't really my business... but who's gonna look after ya if ya ain't lookin' after yourself..."

He heard a soft sigh behind him, the bed creaking as the gunman sat up slowly and turned to him.

"I see.."

"Mmhm.."

"I don't know what's wrong." he admit suppressing the growing feeling of anxiety in his heart.

"Ah well..shit happens," the pilot declared.

"Not like this..."

"Not like what?"

"Forget it..."

* * *

Bright ruby eyes blinked thrice as his vision cleared. He didn't even remember dosing, let alone falling asleep. That was the last time he sat down on Cid's bed. It was decided. This mattress was bewitched. He hadn't even been tired and now he found himself rousing slowly from a deep sleep. 

He sat up slowly...carefully, glancing around the room before his eyes settled upon the back of the figure at the foot of the bed. The pilot had one hand pressed to his right ear, uttering something softly. He frowned as he sat up.

"Cid"

Cid turned to him suddenly, Vincent making the connection that he was on the PHS.

"Vince? Aww damn...did I wake you?"

"No..." the crease slowly faded from between his dark brows as he turned to stand, clad only in dark low rising drawstring pants that he didn't even remember borrowing. He took note of Cid's eyes upon him before finding it appropriate to retreat down the hall to the bathroom.

"Where you goin?" Cid asked curiously, keeping one hand over the speaker of the small device and turning to him.

"I'm going to take a shower and then go for a walk to clear my mind."

"Oh...alright... I'll be waitin..."

Vincent stopped in his tracks.

"For what?"

"For you."

The former Turk shook his head.

"Whatever you mean by that..."

Cid smiled.

"It's not what you think..."

Vincent merely glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before continuing toward his destination.

* * *

Cloud yawned after shutting off the PHS, Tifa stretching a bit. 

"I told Cid to keep a closer eye on our friend until Reeve comes up with some more information on those new guys."

Tifa smiled.

"Bet he liked that idea..."

The blonde scratched his head pensively.

"So... what's the deal with those two anyway," Cloud questioned.

"Do you really wanna know?" Tifa raised a brow, folding her arms and leaning back into the wooden kitchen chair with a playful smile.

Cloud seemed to ponder this for a moment, looking to the heavens before concluding that he in fact, did not want to know, his friend laughing openly at him.

"So... you wanna call Barret and tell him about what Reeve said?" she smiled.

"I suppose..." he shrugged his shoulders and began dialing, his mind briefly wondering how Vincent was handling things with the ever persistent pilot.. He shook the thought from his mind, but not before concluding quietly. "Interesting pair..."

Tifa looked up at him for a minute, smile faint.

"I know..."

She remained quiet as her friend began to speak into the device.

Interesting pair indeed...

Cid was going to need all the luck he could muster. Her smile widened. Vincent was not the easiest person in the world to talk to or approach. She shook her head.

"They'll be fine..." she concluded, "..if Cid can keep patient and Vincent can stop angsting and bottling up his feelings long enough for it to work..."

Cloud chuckled in his corner, eyes suddenly widening when the person on the other end of the device answered and he quickly cleared his throat, starting the necessary conversation.

Tifa sighed, smile fading.

I hope they're alright...


	7. A Need

Warning: Adult content

* * *

The wind was little more than a breeze descending from the setting sky, Vincent noted as he walked away from the house and headed out for his quiet walk.

He sighed as he looked to his right, acknowledging the presence beside him with a fair amount of discomfort. If this was looking out for him, he dreaded to think what keeping a CLOSE eye on him would be.

He walked silently for a long time, turning small corners, revelling in passing foliage. His gaze was on the ground for a good while before he glanced quickly at the pilot beside him, walking slowly and comfortably. It had been nearly a week since his run-in with that mysterious monster. His conscious a constant question mark as a result. It was harder to keep things in control since then. He kept his mouth flat as his eyes darted over to the pilot once more.

How was this man putting up with him?

Cid grinned. The younger man had been stealing small little glances from him the entire walk. After passing the limits of the town, he began to slow his pace. They came to the edge of a small cliff overlooking a fresh bubbly stream before the former Turk relaxed a bit more, his movements less constrained as he walked carefully along the edge. At least the pounding in his head had subsided... replaced with an odd feeling of unease.

The pilot suddenly chuckled, causing the younger man to turn to him, brow raised.

He swallowed at the pilot's voice.

"Why you glancin 'round all nervous like that?"

The former Turk turned to him.

"Like what?"

Cid grinned.

"Like an amature on the first date... Lookin all bashful..."

Vincent turned away from him sharply.

"Hmph..."

Cid shook his head.

"Ain't been walking but for half an hour and you been lookin like that the whole time."

He couldn't comment.

He refused to comment.

Just who the hell did this man think he was... He was just debating on ignoring him completely when the pilot's voice was in the air.

"You know I've got a small workplace somewhere along this path.." he suddenly spoke. "It's where I make little miniatures. One of my craft shops. C'mere... It's interesting..." he motioned.

The former Turk seemed to ponder this for a moment before averting his gaze.

"Miniatures of what..."

"Planes, sweetheart. Got quite a collection nah...Lemme show ya..." he beckoned, following a slightly grassy path. They walked for all of five minutes before coming to a patchy clearing of land on which was centered a small shop.

Cid leapt over the first two stairs before pausing before the door and checking his right pocket, producing a small key.

Vincent took his time catching up, unsurprised by Cid's patience and warm grin as he held the door open for him.

The gunman's eyes widened as soon as he stepped into the shop, the sound of Cid closing it a faint click in the background as he beheld the scene.

The surrounding shelves were organized with beautifully crafted minatures, ranging from objects as small as an inch to as large as several. He stepped up to the counter, peering down at the little miniatures beneath the glass, all different shapes and sizes, colors and models.

Apparently every model ever designed... Cid hurried behind the counter, kneeling and fumbling with a switch.

A little light began to glow from the seams of the display case, illuminating his work.

The gunman's eyes widened for a moment as they came into focus.

They were all so beautifully crafted, each model its own little private spectacle.

Cid watched with a childish grin from behind the counter, pleased that the former Turk found it interesting.

After a good few minutes of observations he looked up, Cid standing by a door adjacent.

"Wan' a take a look at these 'ere too? They're almost finished models..." he explained as he opened the door to the small room, Vincent approaching curiously. There was a main table in the center, one large couch before it, tools littered here and there, shades drawn down.

Cid propped the door slightly as he went back into the main room and back behind the counter, returning a moment later with two small drinks.

"Thirsty?" he offered, holding up the can. He refused to wait for a response, instead popping the drink hole and extending it toward him.

"What is it about you and planes..." the former Turk spoke quietly as he grasped the can gently, sitting upon the couch and leaning forward to examine the craft.

The pilot smiled faintly as he sat down beside him, taking a sip. "Just always been fascinated with them I s'pose. ...Had a talent for building 'em... Ever since I was young. Besides, I love the feeling of flying..."

Vincent kept his gaze on the little model.

"They're intricate. You must have spent days in here..."

The pilot smiled.

"One all-nighter goin on inspiration, but nuthin drastic... It's just a hobby..."

Vincent nodded before the silence settled, heart beat increasing at the realization of just how close he was to the other man. He glanced over at the pilot, eyes darting back to the table upon discovering that his eyes were already on him, gaze slightly tense.

He was practically radiating sensuality and the promise of an unfulfilled desire that he strained to control. Something was still beating at him from the back of his mind... growing stronger the more he ignored it.

"I hate flying."

Cid turned to him completely at his confession, brow raised.

"Why the hell do you hate flying?"

The other man shook his head slowly. "Gut feels strange."

The pilot suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh... takin' off eh? Heh.. ya never cease to suprise me, Vince..."

"I'm not fond of feeling out of control."

Cid shook his head, slightly amused that the man was speaking to him about something personal.

"You speakin' from experience, Vince?"

The taller man grimaced.

"Nevermind about that. Planes are unpredictable."

"Only if you don't know what you're doin..."

The ruby-eyed man lifted his gaze from the table, holding the pilot's gaze. .

"Hmph... I've heard of entirely too many crashes in the paper..."

"Well..." Cid shrugged his shoulders, pausing to take a sip of his drink. "Someone didn't know what they were doin'.."

"What if something goes wrong," Vincent averted his gaze quickly, "... miles into the sky...No one can help you up there."

The pilot chuckled softly.

"Something goes wrong..? Like what?" he drew closer slowly, voice softening.

"I don't know," Vincent refused to look at him, swallowing hard as his face grew hot. "Anything..."

"Anything like what?" Cid smirked, genuinely curious as to what the quiet gunman was thinking. There was silence for a moment as he set his drink upon the table, Vincent watching his every move.

"You... could...You might-"

Vincent's thoughts came to a sudden halt at the feeling of the pilot's right hand suddenly caressing against his cheek and he faltered, eyes falling shut for just a second.

A barrier had fallen.

"Oh, I could what..." Cid breathed as he leaned forward suddenly, lips following the path his hand had taken.

The quiet gunman could feel his temperature rising at the contact, the pounding in his head beginning to grow.

Oh no...don't...

"C'mon..." Cid breathed against him. "I could what?"

"...Crash..." Vincent sighed.

Cid raised a brow at the thought, planting a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth.

"Like you're doing now?" he smiled as he held him by the shoulders, turning him to face him, the quiet gunman inhaling a shaky breath as he met the gaze with some effort. He felt a gentle pain in his mind and he winced.

Not now... not now...

Vincent closed his eyes before the contact, his submission all the pilot needed before closing the distance between them.

The former Turk gasped as the pilot pressed his mouth against his, Vincent's hand coming up to hold him by the head as they collapsed onto the couch.

_'I know what I'm doing. ... But a quick romp never amounts to anything... That's why I shouldn't. That's why'... _he concluded quietly, morosely.

Vincent shuddered as his back pressed into the couch.

He moaned softly as the pilot trailed kisses down his neck, lips brushing over every inch of exposed skin as he slowly untapped his uniform.

He could feel his control slipping away until all that was left was a thread of reason that begged to be cut. Just a bit more.. It was surfacing..

"C...Cid..." he breathed as the pilot's hands began to travel lower. Soon Cid's hands were suddenly on his waist, undoing the buckles and loosening them. A biting pain snagged his mind just as Cid wrapped his hand around his member.

With a strangled cry, Vincent was suddenly in motion and he forced himself to a half-sitting position, weight on his elbows, eyes shut tight.

"Shh... everything's fine..." Cid assured him, grabbing him by the shoulders and lowering him back down against the couch.

"It's not you...it's-"

"Shhh.." the other man assured him as he moved forward gently cupping his face. "I know what I'm doing. Just relax..." He smiled, reaching into his back pocket and producing a little tube with a clear liquid inside. He squeezed a little into his right palm, smoothing it along his digits before leaning closer to the other man, face inches from his as he tossed it to the table.

"Don't be all nervous.. I know what I'm doing, Vince," he breathed.

Attempting to gather his composure and failing miserably, Vincent locked gazes with him.

Another barrier was broken. It was almost there...

"I'm sure you do but I-.." the taller man sighed as Cid wrapped a loose fist around his member once more and he realized that he could not keep his voice from failing him, his thoughts running rampant, mind blank and emotions centered toward the wonderful feeling in his nether regions.

He found himself sighing in ecstasy as the other man worked him in his moist palm.

His breath caught as he made a soft noise of pleasure, Cid leaning forward and locking his mouth against his.

It was utter bliss he had decided. Such a sweet surrender, his body craving more contact as he thrust against him.

A jolt of pain suddenly brought him out of his delectable euphoria and he jerked with a cry, grabbing his hand and halting him.

"What's the matter?" Cid watched him anxiously.

"I can't... I'm-"

" You want it, I want it... " he declared, leaning forward, mouth finding his neck.

"But something could... at any moment.. I'm-"

Cid ignored his excuses, working his way slowly around to his mouth before covering it once more, distracting him.

With a sigh, the former Turk collapsed back against the couch. He had but all of one minute before he was jolted with another wave of pain, this one stronger and he tore himself away from the pilot, holding his head. It was as though something was trying to rip through his conscious... It wasn't entirely foreign, but not welcome all the same. This time Cid sat up with concern, peering into his frustrated expression.

"Vincent?" he questioned, watching him cautiously as the gunman stood, stumbling into a corner, hands on his head. He stumbled until his back hit the wall, shaking his head back and forth.

"Ugh...It's-"

The former gunman took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes as he reached deep into his conscious, feeling out the tear that was causing such conflict. An emotion since locked away had grown stronger and was finally breaking through the restraints... but what would happen if he released it.

He gasped as the emotion locked onto his mind. Suddenly it was upon him, washing over him like a river of warm water, seeping into every corner of his being, leaving no corner untouched. He trembled, teeth clenched, eyes shut tight as the pilot rushed to hold him by the shoulders, waiting for a reaction.

"Vincent...?"

A moment passed before slowly... he opened his crimson eyes. An uncharacteristic smirk graced his mouth as his eyes found the pilot's. So that's what had been personified, the gathering of energy ripping at him. He knew this feeling. Inside what little inhibitions he had left had been cast into a dark corner.

"Vincent?" the blue-eyed man questioned curiously.

The former Turk moaned softly, gloved hand reaching forward, digits gliding against the man's rough face as he regained his composure. "Cid..." his gaze became tense, the pilot's brows drawing down in confusion.

"Huh"  
Before he could conjure a thought in reference to what could possibly be going on, he found himself against the wall, Vincent staring at him, eyes heavily lidded.

"What the-..."

The beautiful gunman said nothing as he quickly unstrapped the buckles to his cape and tossed it aside, ripping the bandana from around his forehead before grabbing the older man by the shoulders and shoving him into the corner, hard. Cid had little time to react before the stern gunman pressed his mouth against his in a feverish haste.

"Mmmm..." It was Cid's turn to be surprised as the gunman's right hand was at his front, undoing his pants before ripping the belt from his waist in a sharp hiss. He watched him the entire time.

Suddenly he was all over him, hips firmly pressed to the blonde man's as he parted his lips against his. It just wasn't enough. Impatiently, Vincent's hand came up, thumb pressing into the rough skin of his chin, just below the pilot's lower lip, drawing his mouth open. His tongue pushed its way inside, twirling and caressing the one it encountered.

Cid inhaled sharply as the vibration of Vincent's soft moans into his mouth seemed to reverberate throughout his entire body. Vincent's hips began to move of their own accord, rocking firmly against the older man's. When he finally gathered the strength to pull his mouth away, both were breathless and aroused.. much more aroused than before. The former Turk's eyes were glazed over in a lust finally unleashed, lips parted, face flushed just inches from the older man's own. He made a soft noise as he caught his breath, Cid staring at him in utter shock. The beautiful gunman cocked his head.

"You wanted this..." his voice was low and breathy. "I can't hold it back..."

Cid's eyes narrowed.

"Then release it..."

The former Turk smirked darkly as he sifted a hand through the blonde hair. "Are you ready for me"  
The pilot grunted with a smile. "You betcha"  
"I can't guarantee you'll like this..." he moved closer, tongue flicking out and tracing the inner shell of the man's ear, emitting a low hiss as he touched him.

"Mmm..." Cid closed his eyes, reveling in the dark voice in his ear as well as the feeling of the man's hips against his. "So this is you...I think I like it."

"Hmph..." Without warning he sank to his knees. In one quick motion, the older man was exposed. Before the pilot's brain could catch up to what was going on, Vincent's mouth was on his member. Cid groaned, brain swimming in pleasure as his hands came up to sift through the dark locks. "Ohh..."

The gunman's gaze was tense, breathing hard as he took him all the way in, the pilot's body trembling. "Aw god..." The pilot shut his eyes tight at the unbelievable sensations the beautiful gunman was pulling from him. Vincent groaned as he practically devoured the man, shaking his head once with an animal-like ferocity as he pleasured him with a great urgency. Once he was ready to explode, the former Turk withdrew, standing and pressing his entire body to the other man's once more, mouth near his ear. "Mmmm..." he sighed into his ear, the pilot shuddering.

"Cid..." he breathed, voice trailing off softly. "Don't be gentle."

"Really?"

"Grab me.."

"Where?" he asked quickly, thoughts fuelled with desire.

"My hair. Grab it... force my head back..." The older man gave a half-frown, his hesitance disappearing at Vincent's welcoming expression as he quickly complied, grabbing a fistfull of the long dark strands and forcing his head back, Vincent smirking. "Harder..."

Cid grunted, yanking him back hard enough to make him lose his balance, the both of them collapsing to the floor, Cid straddling him.

"Better?"

The former Turk shook his head. "Hurry up and get this over with..." he breathed.

"What's the rush..." Cid countered.

"Don't know... Just do it while I have to."

Cid quickly kicked his boots off, pulling the rest of his clothing off before attempting to take Vincent's own. He fumbled with the straps for all of ten seconds as the former Turk discarded his dark glove, Cid gazing curiously at the claw-like hand, nails tinged a dark blue and slightly sharper than normal. Refusing to be distracted he found a zip inside the man's suit as well as two other straps before yanking the rest of the gunman's clothing away, leaving him open and vulnerable, spread eagle on the floor beside the table. He promptly moved to straddle him once again, Vincent cocking his head, eyes heavily lidded as he beckoned to him.

"We both know how this works..." he breathed.

"Heh..." Cid collapsed atop him, grasping and tasting the exposed flesh with pleasure, mouth finding his neck and pulling the flesh between his lips.

"Ahhh..." the figure below him hissed in pleasure, pushing his hips up against him. "Cid..."

"Mm... Yeah?"

"Bite me. Don't ask. Just do it... Anywhere" Without question, the pilot's teeth closed over the soft skin of the neck just below the jaw, pinching it just enough before releasing it and gliding his tongue against it, the former Turk shuddering, metal claw scraping the ground. "Mmph... Hurry and release me..." he encouraged.

Wasting no time, the pilot quickly prepared his erection, thankful he'd brought items. The gunman's eyes were focussed on him the entire time as he drew his knees up to his chest, swinging one long slender leg over the pilot's shoulder. There eyes met briefly before Cid grabbed him by the hips and took his position. Slowly, he began to push against his entrance, a little taken aback by how tight the muscle was.

The crimson-eyed man moaned pushing up against him. "Cid. Hard..."

Not one to disappoint, the pilot forced himself through the tight muscle, Vincent's eyes flying open, back arching. In only moments he was at his climax, hand scratching at the older man's back, the pilot too engulfed in his own climax to care. His breaths became faster and faster, the pilot jerking against him, movements quick, hard and precise. His eyes darkened for a split second, teeth clenched as he sucked in each breath urgently, eyes rolling back just a little as he let loose an animalistic growl of pure uninhibited emotion. Seconds later he collapsed beneath him, chest heaving.

Cid followed soon after, looking every bit satisfied as he collapsed atop him, hands gliding up to roam through his hair.

"Damn-it... That was too quick..." he concluded. Vincent sighed, arching slowly beneath him. They lay there like that for all of five minutes before the former Turk sat up, Cid rolling onto his back and relaxing. Had that really happened. He winced, imagining the scratches on his back. Ohh a wonderful reminder.

"Happy with that?" Cid smirked. "Liked it?" Vincent suddenly turned to straddle him, hands planted on the floor on either side of him, hair falling forward to frame his face.

"Liked?" his voice was soft. "Sorry to disappoint... but that was the warm-up.." with that, he leaned forward, capturing the pilot's mouth with his own...


	8. Capture

* * *

Warning: The Works. Please Read and Review. heh heh :D

* * *

For not the first time that day, Vincent found himself shuddering, body building toward his much anticipated climax. 

The pilot had gotten the hang of him quicker, much quicker than he'd ever imagined anyone could and was successfully riding him toward his fourth climax. He wasn't quite sure how important understanding his body actually was until he found himself on his back once again, tossing his head from side to side, hair draped over the arm of the large loveseat, face flushed, the pilot's name rolling off his tongue again and again. His knees were spread shamelessly wide, the pilot's hips nestled firmly between them, mouth against his neck as he uttered whatever vulgarities came to mind, surprising the older man. Cid alternated between planting quick kisses along his beautiful face as well as covering the small mouth beneath his to swallow his cries of passion, hips rocking forward and back hard enough to jolt the quivering young man in his embrace.

And then there was the rush, and his entire body seemed to shudder.

No... his soul.

"...Fuck..." Vincent whispered, his claw raking against the back of the furniture, ripping the upholstery. His eyes rolled back slightly as he arched against him. "Fucking harder, Cid... Deeper...!" he demanded. Seconds later a cry was caught in his throat and he turned his face toward the older man's, his good hand coming up behind his head to pull him down and capture the mouth in a rough kiss. 

The pilot's brain was swimming in pleasure as he groaned deeply, hips pushing harder and faster.

"God...Vince..." he sighed as the young man arched against him once more.

* * *

He didn't quite know when he had given in to the lethargy looming over his conscious after the pilot had dutifully cleaned them up and fallen asleep. He only realized that in the time idle, he had gained most of his strength back. 

Cid on the other hand.. the gunman's eyes floated down to the arm around his torso and the leg draped over his hip. He wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, he surmised.

Cid...

All at once he'd felt a heavy weight settle upon his heart. How could he have.  
No... He shook his head. He didn't like this feeling. He had lost control. It had taken him. It had taken him completely and there was nothing he could have done to keep it back. He sighed.

So he'd finally been had... finally been...He made a small noise of discomfort at the one word he could not bring himself to voice.

Conquered.

Almost immediately he shut his eyes tight, taking a few deep breaths. No. He hadn't been conquered. It was a mistake. Just a mistake. God how he'd made so many...Carefully, he began to extricate himself from the pilot's limbs, mind focussed on getting as far away as he possibly could. An exhausted moan caught his attention as he placed both feet on the floor, and he looked back to meet the pilot's heavily-lidded gaze.

"Where ya goin'?" he half-whispered.

"I'll be back.." he lied. The pilot shook his head slowly.

"Just a lil' more, Vince..." he beckoned. "Ain't gotta rush..we don't have to save the world today, baby.."  
The quiet gunman blinked down at him before turning toward him completely once again. He'd already gotten what he'd wanted from him. What more was there?

"I-"

"C'mere."

The crimson-eyed man averted his gaze for a moment, sighing. No... He wasn't going to stay here. This was the last time he concluded. His eyes narrowed as they travelled back up to the pilot's. Slowly he made his way back over to him, surprising him by pressing his mouth to the older man's before his kisses lowered.. trailing down the man's firm chest, down the hard abs and then further to disappear between his thighs. The pilot's eyes rolled back and he shut his eyes, giving in.

Vincent pushed his lips against the man's organ. One more round would probably put the pilot out indefinitely... then he could slip away.

He hung his head low. Why not end this mistake with another...

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Vincent gazed back at the figure lying eagle-spread on the couch, mouth hanging agape, snoring softly. He put the last strap of his glove into place with a solemn look. 

Damn-it... The feelings he'd locked away for decades were finally surfacing. If they were breaking through in waves, then his only course of action would be to seek solitude in order to figure things out on his own. He sighed. Cid wouldn't like that... But what did it matter what the pilot had wanted. He'd gotten it, which could only mean that he was done with him. It could have been worse. What if an unquenchable rage or blood thirst had been lurking behind his mind's barriers..

In a way he was almost thankful it was lust.

Almost.

He sighed. He never intended to give in to the pilot, not once. Not for a meaningless, rough quickie and three rounds of-. He forced the thought from his mind. He couldn't have all of him... and so it was best that he made it a point to have nothing to do with him. Vincent belonged to no one.. and the one he'd always wanted to belong to, was never meant to belong to him. So where did that leave him? Shaking his head, the former Turk buckled the front of his cape before spinning on his heels, cape flowing in his trademark dramatist fashion.

"Never again..." he whispered as he left the room.

* * *

He hadn't wanted to go looking for him, but giving him some sort of sign that he was going to be alright would have been a good idea. 

With a wince, the pilot slipped his shirt on before lifting his boot to the counter and tying the strings. He looked back at the empty room with a frown. How long had he been out. By the time he'd rolled onto his side, the faint light of dusk had already begun to give way to night.

He knew it... He just knew that that damn gunman was going to disappear on him at some point. And what a fine time. Heh... Knocked him up like it was the last day on earth...exploring desires that made even him blush and then disappeared without a trace.

* * *

Tifa frowned angrily at the incessant beep of the PHS. She had been dosing for what seemed like an eternity and had finally begun to dream when the damn mechanism began to make it's presence known. 

In mere moments the plush white pillow that had once cradled her aching temples was plopped neatly over her head, her hands on either end of the fabric pressing it over her ears to muffle the noise.

"Ohhh... Just go away...!" she fumed. The frantic clangor of her bedroom door being opened suddenly demanded her attention. With bloodshot eyes, Tifa peeked out from under the pillow at the same moment Cloud answered the phone.

Before she could even comment, Cloud walked out of the room with it, speaking in a hushed voice. She grimaced as she rewound the scene in her mind, her brain finally registering offense at Cloud's succinct and obviously unannounced intrusion.

Hell... what if she had been getting dressed?

He could have at least knocked...

Her sleep officially ruined, Tifa groaned and painstakingly began the task of getting out of bed. If he had taken such drastic measures, then it must have been important. She finally noticed that he was fully dressed, but it was the middle of the night. What could he possibly be doing?

Still.. there was no excuse for simply entering her room without any warning.

Shuffling on tired legs, the dark-haired woman dragged herself out of her room to find Cloud standing in the hall with a look of worry on his face, shutting off the PHS.

"What is it?" she asked him softly. "Something wrong?"

"Uh. Yeah... That was Reeve...you know that rock we retrieved?"

"Mm hmm...?"

"Well uh... it's gone. Not only that, but Cid just called about twenty minutes earlier and he says that Vincent disappeared."

Tifa's eyes widened.

This was serious. She sighed. That gunman...

"You're kidding right? Vincent's missing?"

"Uh huh... I was getting dressed so I could meet up with Cid, but now that I know that the rock is missing, I think there's going to be more of a problem. Get dressed. I think if we can help Cid find Vincent tonight, this will all be over sooner."

"I see. I'll hurry.."

* * *

Cid grunted with annoyance as he glanced back down at the note in his hand for the umpteenth time. He considered calling Cloud back, but thought better. 

If he hadn't of been so frantic after awakening to find him gone, he would have noticed the note sooner. It was a simple little note that had been tucked neatly into the corner of the shop's main door.. Cid smirked at the neat script:

_Dear Cid,_

_I believe that you're in danger. I still feel the need to spend some time alone. I am currently trying to sort out a few personal issues. You can't help me. Don't worry about me and don't look for me. It's not worth it..  
_

_Sincerely,_

_Vincent Valentine_

Cid smirked as he re-read the note, taking the dark path around his house that led to his small ship. He glanced down at his watch. It was almost 10p.m. Damn him for falling asleep...

He smirked at the note. Dealing with 'personal' issues somehow caught his fancy. Could Vincent have been making reference to...

Cid shook the thought from his mind with determination. No... he was going to make sure that Vincent was truly alright.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he suddenly found himself starting the ship's engine. He momentarily glanced down at the clock, surprised that the time had gone by so quickly. No other stores around the area would be open. The only thing running would most-likely be the train station. Vincent could be far by now, but that all depended upon how long the pilot had been asleep since his disappearance...which was a good healthy few hours.

Cid fired the engine with confidence and a smirk.

He already had a pretty good idea of where his friend might either be, or be heading to.

* * *

He paused in front of it before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. It felt different somehow. It was almost as if he should not have come...something he'd never felt before. His eyes went straight to the glowing crystals in the center of the cave and to the peaceful figure resting within. 

He collapsed before the centered crystal, his head resting against a nearby rock in a slouching position, still allowing himself to calm. With a mournful look he gazed upon the lovely woman forever encased, heart heavy.

"I've...done it."  
He almost expected a reaction as he spoke solemnly. "I've... finally betrayed you... Lucrecia."

He lowered his gaze slowly, feeling unworthy of her image as he uttered the truth.

"...I've sinned... and it... even though I should not have... It felt... _He_ felt... good.." After just minutes his eyes had begun to flutter closed, his breathing even. "But no more..."

* * *

He had a passing tentative thought about his journey here, a faint fear nagging at his senses. His eyes had nearly fallen shut in sleep when the sound of a pebble hitting the floor of the cave jarred him from his rest and he bolted upright. His senses immediately became alert and he stood up, peering into the dark corners with his bright eyes. Something told him that he and the preserved scientist were not the only ones there. He turned slowly as he felt a presence behind him in the darkest corner of the cave. He watched that corner for more than a minute before bright eyes mirroring his own finally emerged.  
Vincent swallowed, heart racing as the creature approached. 

"What the-..."

The creature's lips curled back into its trademark sinister smile and the former Turk sighed as words entered his mind.

The creature chuckled as it approached.

* * *

Tifa yawned once again and raked a hand through her disheveled chocolate locks. 

"Cid called you back yet?" she questioned from her position leaning against the kitchen counter.

Cloud watched her with his abnormally bright eyes as he snapped his amulet into place and began exchanging materia.

"No.. but he text me to say that he was going to that cave behind the waterfall first."

Tifa tried not to cry at the idea of what time it could have been as she took a sip of her coffee.

"I need to borrow a few materia..."

Tifa had to practically force herself back to her room. Her usually fine and sophisticated movements were laced with the traces of sleep and reluctance to accept a rude awakening back into consciousness. She moved as though she were moving through a mountain of snow, her feet dragging. Musing about it for a moment she thought back to the snow town opposite of the crater that used to house Sephiroth during meteor.

Meteor... The crisis of the century...

She smiled faintly as she envisioned a happy outcome to all of this. They would help Cid to find their troubled young comrade, the rock would be recovered, Cid would be happy and then she would be able to return to peaceful dreams.

Unaware to her... there would be a slight change of plans...

Cloud lost count of Tifa's yawning as she leaned against him. He almost felt guilty watching her struggle to stay conscious. But this was important. They needed to find Vincent...

And from the look of it, Cid already had a head start...

* * *

Vincent claimed that he needed some time alone to think, and Cid being the smart pilot that he was concluded a long time ago that Vincent's most cherished thinking spot would be the cave where he and the others had first encountered Lucrecia. 

He licked his lips in anticipation as the plane approached the area. Vincent had to be there... He knew he had to be there...

He could feel it.

With a silent prayer to Lady Luck, Cid swiftly landed his precious ship and practically hauled the chocobo out of the stable and headed over the small waterfall.

All the while he pictured the face of the young man in his mind.

One of these days he was going to smack him for his parting habits.

Leavin without even so much as a goodbye...

It worried him no matter what the mysterious gunman did if it was unexpected.

He momentarily tapped his right jacket pocket that contained the note. Just as he rode up towards the entrance behind the beautiful waterfall he remembered his respect for this place and he discarded his cigarette.

He then slowly got off of the large bird and proceeded to enter the dark entrance of the cave...

* * *

He didn't want anyone's help. He didn't need anyone's help... He just wanted to be left the hell alone. 

His mess of thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he felt someone approaching.  
No sooner had the figure receeded into the shadows did Vincent suddenly become aware of another presence in the room with him. His back was still turned to the pilot, nonetheless he acknowledged him. This man was just too stubborn for his own good...

But now was not the time.

"I thought I told you not to look for me..." he said plainly.

Cid raked a hand through his pale blond hair and grunted.

"Well whaddya know... I didn't think it was a crime to be caring about someone..."

"That's not what I meant..." Vincent said calmly. "You're in danger..."

"That kinda danger I was in back at the shop? In that case..." Cid started sarcastically. It was then that he became aware of the dark-haired gunman's slight trembling.

"Vincent?" he questioned.

Vincent leaned over the altar with increasing labor as he strained to remain calm.

"Vincent...?" Cid approached, the look of concern slowly creeping into his features.

"Get out of here..." Vincent warned.

"Vince? Are you alright?" Cid was now standing behind him.

"Yes... leave..."

"I'm not going anywhere..." Cid stated. "Besides, I think you're hiding something, sweetheart..." Cid suddenly mused.

Vincent's eyes momentarily lit up, but then he quickly regained his composure. Why wouldn't this pilot take a hint... Why couldn't he just leave him to wallow in his own misery like everyone else...

Why...

"Why don't you want anyone to find you? What's the damn problem?" Cid asked becoming frustrated. "I thought you were likin' what was goin' on back there..."

"It was a mistake..." Vincent deadpanned.

"No." Cid said with obvious disapproval. "It wasn't, damn it!"

Vincent sighed a sigh of frustration as he slowly turned to face the pilot. Looking into the genuinely concerned bright blue eyes would be his undoing.

For a moment, Cid thought that he had upset him, mistaking the former Turk's confusion for disappointment.

"Vincent..." he softened his tone. "Why ya runnin'.?"

Crimson eyes met bright blue in a moment of uncertainty. Almost hesitantly.

"Vincent..." he spoke softly. "What are you doing out here..."

"Nothing.." he half-whispered.

The pilot sighed at this. There was only so much prying he was accustomed to doing.

"You know what..." he shook his head, his mind having exhausted every possible explanation.

"Of course I do..."

Cid's gaze shifted back to the other man's face for a moment, brows drawn.

The former Turk suddenly took a deep breath, clearing his mind as he walked towards him.

"Vince...?" Cid found his face hot as the former Turk placed his hand under his chin, lifting his gaze.

Now this was rather unexpected.

Watching the color creep into Cid's face was obviously more than Vincent could handle as he suddenly felt himself draw close to the gunman, his breathing erratic.

"Cid.. It was a mistake..."  
Vincent's thumb came up just below Cid's lower lip and he gently pushed down to part the waiting lips. "..As is this..." With a groan of unexpected desire, Vincent pressed his mouth to Cid's, plundering his lips with a sudden desperation. 

Cid made a soft noise of surprise at Vincent's urgency and he grabbed him by the shoulders to keep his balance.

The kiss was long and hard, and by the time Vincent had finished, Cid was trying to catch his breath.

"What was that for-"

"Go."

The pilot raised a brow.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I wont say it again. Leave."

It was then that Cid suddenly heard the rustle of a figure in the shadow and his brows drew down.

"Something else is here..." he declared.

"Go. Contact the others..."

"What in the hell are you gonna-"

"Now!" Vincent suddenly shouted as he pushed the other man toward the exit, the creature emerging from the shadows.

"Vincent have you lost your god-damn mind! No way in hell I'm leavin' you out here! How are ya gonna fight... !"

"It doesn't matter..." his eyes narrowed as he whipped his gun out, taking aim. Cid shook his head, hands turning to fists at his side. "And leave you alone with that!"

Vincent suddenly collapsed to the ground in pain and surprise, Cid's eyes widening.

"Vince!"

The creature smiled as another figure emerged from the shadows, wielding a familiar object.

The white rock...

"Vincent, are you alright?" Cid asked quickly as he knelt beside him.

The former Turk struggled to assure the other man to no avail but it was impossible to speak as pain coursed through him. All he could do was writhe helplessly as the person in the shadows drew near.

Making the connection, Cid picked up a fairly large rock, hauling it at the person.

There was a whispered curse as the ball rolled out of their grasp, Vincent gaining some of his strength back. The winged creature opposite sneered at the pilot, swooping foward and back-handing him angrily.

"Cid..." Vincent's voice was strained as the pilot's back slammed into the wall of the cave, the claw marks across his face dripping blood. He crumpled to the floor unconscious, Vincent's eyes narrowing as he tried weakly to hold his gun up, but it felt as though his one good hand was made of lead.

Vincent found his consciousness slipping away as the rock was recovered, the person in the shadows approaching him slowly.

That thing. It was sucking all of the strength out of him, and without any of his materia or any other means to defend himself, he was as good as defeated.

He tried to protest, lifting his head once as he lay on his side, but his body refused to obey him. He sighed at the feel of the cool stone against his cheek. It occurred to him that he had not smelled the earth beyond in a while, or even taken note of the billions of tiny glinting fragments that composed the stone. They suddenly seemed to glow fainter.

"Ugh..." it was barely a whisper by now as he had little energy to even speak.

Finally the person wielding the rock spoke back.

"At last..."

He sighed, accepting his defeat. There was nothing that he could do at this point. Nothing at all...

"I'm so tired ..." Vincent whispered softly as the figure approached. There was silence for a moment as the person kneeled before him, shoulder-length dark hair falling forward. The voice was deep with age, but soft.

"Then go to sleep. Just go to sleep... and everything will be set right again..."

Despite his mind's protests, Vincent found his eyes shutting of their own accord, his body falling limp, breathing falling into that of a deep sleep...he faded out of consciousness, the world darkening around him. ..And then all was silent...

* * *


	9. Gained Loss

* * *

Warning: Disturbing images, adult content. As always... read & review please.

* * *

When you got down to it, Vincent was a very dangerous man. He had the skills of an assassin, a mastermind, a tactician...the perfect aim. If he really wanted to, he could very well murder a group of the most elite and never leave a trace. 

Only, he didn't harbor the desire to cause pain to anyone. He had endured entirely too much of it himself.

He knew he was dangerous and he knew the limits of his power. It was his own decison to live peacefully... quietly..and never threaten the innocents who passed him by. So many did. He had grown accustomed to the lingering glances, the lidding of eyes in unison of a sultry smirk. The city's empty promises could never entice him.

To an outsider he was not only dangerous, but beautiful.

Painfully beautiful.

The man above him knew this above all as he watched the man strapped to the table below him, reaching over and tightening one of the restraints a little further.

The former Turk had a weakness that all of his previous training should have prevented ten-fold. It was the one weakness that separated man from beast, sentient from non-sentient.

It was this one weakness in his nature that was responsible for his path of atonement.

He was a lover. One who desired love..one to love and be loved. These were things that the former Turk was reluctant to voice following his awakening from his 30 year slumber, but the man above him knew this. He knew it not because it ever existed as a file. He needed only read his mind he noted as he gazed down at the peaceful face.

Suddenly the dark lashes fluttered.

It was about time he had awakened. It had taken about an hour, but he had finally come to consciousness. Pity. He wasn't going to like what he was about to do. The man smiled faintly, gloved hands pulling a syringe from the confines of his long white lab coat and pulling the sleeve up on his arm.

To his amusement, the former Turk grunted, eyes opening quickly.

"... Ugh..." his voice was low and strained. The man above him leaned forward a little and he watched the shoulder length brown locks fall forward to frame the face. The man shook his head, dark eyes calm as he brought the syringe up to his arm. Vincent grit his teeth, eyes flashing with anger and pain.

The man above him smiled as he watched the beautiful creature catch his breath as the needle was withdrawn.

Vincent sighed. Who was doing this to him? His vision was blurred which was extremely unusual. Lighting too poor had little to do with his inability to make out the features of the person standing over him. He had the ability to find his way through utter darkness. Why was he having trouble now...

"Ugh... I..."

The figure above him paused, waiting for him to continue.

"...Who..are you?" the words were soft, the gunman surprised that he was barely able to put a breath behind them.

He heard the sound of a small metal object against a tray and his eyes rolled in that direction. Someone approached from the right, cloaked in darkness and he strained to see.  
He didn't have to see the object that they held in their hand, only realized that it was the cause of splitting pain in his mind.

"You've encountered telua materia before tonight.." the figure in the shadows spoke.

"Te...lu.a.."

"Now just relax. It'll be less painful."

The figure raised the ball to the dim light and then all was dark again.

* * *

After jumping from the small transport craft, Tifa and Cloud rushed toward the cave, Cloud entering first. He scanned what was immediately visible before darting to the right, kneeling before the figure crumpled on the ground. 

"Cid?"

Tifa gasped, grabbing the man by the shoulders and shaking him before finding a cloth in her pocket to press to the gash marks along his face, Cloud immediately casting a regen. The pilot moaned softly, but did not awaken.

"Cloud? What do you think happened to him?"

"I don't know... We're gonna have to wait until he's conscious to find out. Whatever did this though... it couldn't have been somethin' from around here," he concluded as the young woman stood and turned toward the interior to look for clues.

"It's not still here is it?" she suddenly lowered her voice, eyes darting around the cave as she crept slowly toward the middle.

"I don't think so..." Cloud said quietly as he ripped some material from around his armor, looping it under the pilot's chin to hold the cloth in place.

Tifa was still investigating quietly when she lifted her gaze with a sudden gasp. "Oh my god... Cloud..."

The spikey-haired young man had just finished tying a makeshift dressing for the wound when Tifa's voice became urgent. "Cloud look..." Tifa trailed off slowly as she approached the center of the cave. The swordsman looked up from the unconscious pilot, eyes following his friend's and widening at the absence of the woman that should have been there.

"What the-"

Tifa shook her head, blinking. "Where's Lucrecia..."

The young man stood, pilot in his arms. "I don't know... Did someone..."

Tifa backed away slowly, taking a step behind Cloud before looking down at the man he carried.

"This is...just too... Cloud... First things first. Let's just get Cid to a safe place."

"Right." with that they hurried toward the exit, Tifa glancing back feeling every bit disturbed. The small craft lowered and they rushed aboard, Cloud yelling back at the WRO agent seated at the controls. "Hurry and get us back to Midgar."

A small beep sounded, Tifa reaching into her right pocket and pulling out the PHS.

"Yeah? Great work. Oh and we've found Cid. But there's no sign of Vincent... or Lucrecia." There was a long pause before she brought the conversation to a close. "...Yeah. That'll do. Thanks, Reeve."

Cloud looked up to her curiously, anxious for an update.

"Seeing as things may get more complicated, Reeve's decided to try to get ahold of our little friend."

Cloud stared blankly, waiting eeriely for a thought to register.

"Little friend?"

Tifa looked up from the pilot with a soft smile. "Yes... the only person we know with the superior ability to engage in a synaptic net dive. Our former enemy, Shelke. We need her help to search. She's the best, Cloud."

The bright-eyed man nodded. "I hope so, Tifa."

* * *

_The dark creature approached. His movements were gentle, but pain erupted beneath every touch. It was dark, as it always was here, only there was pain, much more pain than ever before. Something hard and rough was pressing into his bare skin, a wall he assumed. It was then that he became aware that he was completely vulnerable. His arms were slammed back against the wall, his claw scraping against the stone hard enough to send a spark. _

_A claw-like hand grasped his chin roughly, and pulled his gaze upward. Vincent cried out as a dark mouth descended upon his, long rough tongue forcing its way into his mouth and against the back of his throat. He shook his head, gagging violently, entire body trembling as he whimpered in utter panic and fright. The tongue reached further still, almost as if it could taste his entire being._

_He shut his eyes tight, a splitting pain in his mind distracting him until he could feel it slide slowly back up his throat and away. He turned his face away quickly, teeth clenched. It flicked out to assault his neck, searingly hot as it agitated the skin in its path. He felt himself thrown to the hard dark floor, brain slow in registering the change as he lay on his bare stomach, arms before him. He brought one knee up, hand sliding down beside his torso and palm against the ground and as he tried to push himself to his knees. He was nearly there, when something slammed down onto his back and sent him sprawled back on his stomach, a cry of pain echoing in his mind. The claws were on his hips, nails digging into the flesh and drawing blood as his knees were pushed apart._

_Then came the terrible intrusion and his entire body arched before going rigid and he let loose a deafening scream, salty water springing to his eyes and spilling forward. The creature leaned forward, mouth close to his ear and for the first time it spoke to him._

"Now... we are one..."

_He shook his head, tears flowing as recognition finally hit him._

_No, it couldn't be._

_He inhaled a shaky breath, voice barely above a whisper._

"Chaos.."

* * *

It was harder than he ever thought it could be to actually wake up. 

Something was definitely wrong he realized as his head lolled to the side slowly, almost involuntarily.

A nightmare?

Splitting pain and utter agony tormented the quiet gunman as he rolled onto his side... The clangor of heavy chains dangled, the sound somehow frightening for a moment. He sat up slowly, realizing that they were attached to his arms and legs.

_Fuck..._

Suddenly he felt a presence looming in the shadows of the darkest corner. He took a deep breath.

"What do you want..from me..."

The figure in the corner kept their distance for a moment as the gunman's vision faltered for a moment. He shook his head.

His breathing was hard and labored, his limbs watery as he collapsed onto his side. He arched his back as the skin below his shoulder blades began to rip, long dark bat-like wings unfolding.

He let forth a scream of protest, fingers clawing at the earth as his eyes turned bright, pupils narrowing to resemble a cat-like ferocity.

_Oh god..._

The figure in the shadows smirked as Vincent lay there until he had finally caught his breath, just trying to gather his strength and his nerves.

He whimpered softly as he rolled onto his stomach, bringing himself to his knees slowly.

How was this possible? Unless... Chaos hadn't been a dream.

He swallowed. How could this happen? He let forth a terrible snarl, eyes widening a little in surprise at himself. This wasn't possible... Chaos had been-

"Appeased? I know... You thought you were rid of the beast..." A voice in the corner broke his moment of panic and he whipped his head in that direction. "But we've found him... and with the help of telua...I take it you've noticed...We put the beast back in.." The figure stepped into the dim light, and for the first time he was able to see their features. He gasped, finding the features strangely familiar but unable to recall. The older man smiled softly. "Pity you don't remember me." A crease formed between the former Turk's brows. "It doesn't matter..I remember you. I remember Shinra" He felt his heart-rate increase. Something felt wrong. Something terrible was about to happen.. he could feel it.

"Shinra... That was a long time ago."  
His eyes began to focus as a light further into the darkness was accessed, the dark corner slowly brightened to reveal a giant crystal suspended over an ominous looking pit of dark fluid.

"I didn't think you were alive... not until after I'd done my homework. But here you are... preserved eternally, with those same dark features I can remember seeing from the woods behind my house. You looked kinder back then...a little more innocent... but I knew that was wrong...knew it could be nothing more than a trick after I crawled away from my father's corpse."

"What..."

"He was your first mission... your first kill..Died protecting me, which is what Shinra wanted." The man smiled, taking a step toward him. "I memorized that uniform, finding out years later that it belonged to that of a Turk and that the man behind the trigger was named Vincent."  
The former Turk watched quietly, unsure of what his words should be.

"I didn't know you were alive until meteor. That's when I saw you for the first time in 30 years...and I knew I had to find you and make you answer for your crime. And God what luck... what luck that me and a few of my loyal friends should locate Shinra files after the disaster... files that would lead me to you."

The gunman watched him hesitately, hands twisting before him in his binds.

_God... why is this happening..._

"Because it was meant to."  
The crimson-eyed man looked up at the figure sharply, surprised.

_Did he just-_  
"Yes. I know your thoughts. A little something I inherited from my father. But he was much more powerful and Shinra knew it."

Vincent sighed, unable to do little more than listen and endure the situation. He knew it. .. Just knew that something from the past had been lurking and waiting.. just waiting to come back when he least expected it to bite him... he only prayed it didn't take a particularly fleshy souvenir. "So..." the man continued, "I've decided to give you a little gift... To repay you for the life I lost with him... the life that could have been if you weren't the man behind the trigger that day."

A light shone into the crystal suspended in the corner.  
Vincent's eyes widened, heart nearly stopping as he recognized the figure encased in the crystal. "Lucrecia?"  
His breath caught in his throat.

A giant black bubble burst beneath the crystal, the rock hissing as it strangley enough, began to slough off of the figure encased, her arms unfolding and falling limply to her sides. The crystal continued to dematerialize, until all that was left suspended was the rigid body. The man lifted his hand, making a quick motion and the lifeless body was laid out before the former Turk

There was panic in the young man's eyes and he gasped, unsure that her body was really lying before him.

"Lucrecia?"

"Only her body remains... but that is soon to be no more... "

Vincent looked up from his binds, shaking his head.

"No... Don't touch her..."

"I have utilized the knowledge of the Cetra to locate this pit. It is where flesh, metal, even materia are broken down and destroyed.. and it is here... that your beloved Lucrecia shall finally rest..."

The former Turk shook his head, pulling at his restraints as he looked at the body lying before him and then the dark swirling pit just yards away. A few black bubbles burst, sending the dark liquid splattering around the hole in a hiss.

_Why was he doing this? _

"Just as you have taken from me... I shall take from you."_  
_

"No... Don't-"

"Those are exactly the words that I can recall uttering as I saw your face. But what did you do?"  
"Stop..." the former Turk began to twist violently in his binds, snarling as his eyes glowed with rage. A bolt shifted in the wall he was chained to and the older man reached into his pocket, pulling out a familiar object and holding it up to him, its glow faint. All at once, the gunman felt drained and he collapsed onto his stomach before the scene, the stone cool against his face. He lifted his head slowly as his hellish wings receded, eyes returning to their crimson glow.

"Don't think of retaliating. Telua is very adept at disarming you. Now watch."

Without another word, the man lifted his hand, and the body began to slide slowly... very slowly toward the pit, Vincent jerking in his binds, eyes wide as he reached forward, body weak.

"No... Please... Just let me-" he reached forward to touch the woman. He needed to touch her just once. Just one more time... The knot in his chest grew tighter as she slipped further and further away from him, his hopes slipping with her.

"No! Lucrecia!!"

* * *

There was a sudden rush of urgency... a feeling of utter fright and despair. It was as if his heart had been pierced with a knife, a flood of sorrow spilling forth, the feeling so strong that he awoke with a gasp, eyes wet. 

"Vincent!"

Cid sat up quickly, breath heavy as he put a hand up to his head. He swallowed, feeling his heart beat quickly and he took a deep breath.

"The hell?" he shook his head as he turned to sit on the edge of the bed. His heart fluttered with a tension too real to ignore and he sighed. Something was wrong with Vincent... something had happened to him...

It had been nearly two nights since the gunman had disappeared, Cid all but spearing the WRO investigative units sent to aid in the search. Not only that, but when Cloud and Tifa had found him unconscious in the cave, they had also taken note of the absence of the woman who Vincent so strongly revered. No one knew what that could mean.

The searches continued on without him as he recovered. He would have accompanied Reeve's WRO units for the third round of searches had not Tifa given him a stern lecture followed by an even sterner look before locking the door to the spare room. She was right. How could he expect to be of any help if he himself was weak. He hadn't slept the first two days of the gunman's disappearance. Upon reaching the last straw, the pretty little dark-haired woman had single-handedly shoved him into the room, pointed to the bed, demanded he get some rest and then left. His left hand crept up to the rapidly scarring claw marks across his skin and he grimaced, lying back onto the comfortable bed.

His bright eyes fluttered as he turned onto his side, looking at the empty space. He could almost imagine the beautiful gunman lying beside him. He almost reached out, wanting to pull the image of the lonely man closer, breathe in his scent, feel the warmth of his skin, sift his hands through the long dark locks.

The memory of the beautiful man curled on his side beside him was a quiet comfort as he closed his eyes, muscles relaxing completely as he drifted off once more. They were gonna find him. They just had to.


	10. Confession

Nearly two days and several packs of cigarettes later, there was an unsettling feeling of unease in the pilot's heart. For the third night in a row he found himself sitting upon the edge of the bed, head in his hands, the ashtrey full of stubbed cigarettes. Cloud had come to check on him once, Tifa confiscating his last pack. Other than learning that Shelke was getting closer to the truth, the first hour of the early night had been quiet. The girl had been engaged in another dive for the past twelve hours up at HQ, Reeve's concern growing that she might need a break, and soon.

It was nearly midnight when Cid had emerged from the room to go sit out back and indulge in his last smoke. He had just lit the cigarette and was putting it to his lips when a familiar presence walked up to the steps, bending down and taking a seat beside him.

"Hey..." Tifa spoke softly, eyes widening at the site of the cigarette perched between his lips. "Cid?! God I told you to quit.."He shook his head. "Pipe down nah, s'my last one."  
She frowned. "Better be...I don't want my spare rooms smelling like smoke."  
He nodded. "Any news on that break?"

"No..." she admit, crossing her arms and looking up at the night sky. "But..." she looked to him, "That's not why I came out here anyway. I wanted to ask you something."

He shrugged his shoulders casually, taking another puff. "Hm?"

"I was thinking about... About you and Vincent."

He waited. "Hmm.."

"You like Vincent a lot, don't you?" she inquired.

He nodded. "Yeah.."

"Still," she declared, "He's disappeared on you a few times in the past."  
The pilot cocked his head. "And?"

"And I dont think he knows just how you feel. Cid.." her dark eyes softened. "There really is more to this, right?"

He took a puff of his cigarette, tilting his head back and blowing the smoke in a soft exhale. Of course there was. How could there not be. This was Vincent they were talking about here.

"You think I'm playin' games with him?"

The pretty woman shook her head. "No. No I don't. But... are you serious about him? I mean really serious, Cid? Because I don't think he can handle anymore disappointments. After what he's been through, he doesn't deserve any. But, if this is just some mid-life macho, needing-another-fix-to-make-you-feel-"

"Hold it."  
She paused as a gloved hand was drawn before her face in a cease gesture and she stared blankly at his palm. Wordlessly, he stubbed his cigarette on the metal railing beside him before discarding it, lowering his hand. He turned to her for a moment, the silence almost deafening before he lifted his gaze.

"A fix?" he shook his head. "I oughta spear anyone who thinks he should be taken as a damn fix." The patient woman watched him with an expectant look, waiting for a clue into what he was thinking. After another silent moment, he spoke, voice surprisingly soft.

"Ya know.. This wasn't no gradual thang here."  
The dark-eyed woman listened as he spoke. "When we were all down in the Shinra Mansion, and Cloud opened that coffin... I thought well damn. There's gonna be another keeper monster ta fight. But when Vincent sat up slowly, that long hair pooling in the coffin around 'em...and he turned to us... It wasn't like we disturbed some hideous creature. Aw nah... To be honest I was afraid."

The dark-haired woman frowned.

"Oh? Why was that?"

"Because... if he was an enemy, I wasn't prepared ta fight 'em, because that face was fuckin' perfect. .. the way he lifted his eyes... " the pilot suddenly shook his head. "Nah.. he had my attention from the beginnin'... He looked so damn troubled, and from the moment he stepped outta that coffin, I've just wanted to comfort him. I wanted to be the one to drag him outta his sorrow and longin' for that stupid woman who left him. I wanted to be the one to appreciate 'em the way that fool couldn't."

Tifa smiled softly as he continued.

"You don't know... you just don't know how god-damn beautiful he really is, Tifa. When ya catch 'em off guard, hold 'em against ya just right...hear 'em take a breath cuz he's nervous and he wont admit it..." the pilot smiled at the thought, "Behind all that quiet and focussed attitude hes got...There's a passion you wouldn't believe, girl...And I'd give anything to have him share that with me again. I'd give anything to feel him tremble against me when ya touch 'em the right way... Hear that sweet whimper he makes when ya satisfy 'em," the pilot suddenly brought his fist up to his chest nudging it a few times. "It gets me right here..." he shook his head, eyes closed in reminiscence.

"O-Oh..."

".. When he turns and gives ya one of those rare smiles...It catches somethin' in here, girl. ..I confess that I wish he longed for me the way he longed for that woman. I can't stand how he still holds on to her. I hate it Tifa... I do..." When he turned to her once more, he was surprised by the look of shock that greeted him and he raised a brow.

"..The hell's the matter with you?"

She put her hand up to her face, tucking a few strands back behind her ear. "Cid..." she cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Its just that, that's so... I didn't know your feelings were that strong."

"Hm?"

"Promise me... Just promise me that when this is over... You'll tell him this. Please, Cid. He needs to know."  
He looked to the heavens, moistening his suddenly dry lips, dreading the silence that fell. "Cid, Promise me..."

The pilot swallowed before looking over at her. "Yeah. I promise I'll tell 'em..."

"I know they say actions speak louder than words but... sometimes you need words to explain your actions..."

The pilot raised a brow at her advice, Tifa smiling as she was just about to stand when hurried footsteps neared, the back door slamming open, Cloud's eyes tense. "Shelke's located him. Reeve sent out some troops. Red, Yuffie and Barret are going in with materia. They say they should have him at HQ within the hour." Both immediately scrambled to their feet, racing out to Cid's air-craft.

* * *

_"Well has he said anything to you?"_

_"Yo! He ain't said nothin' to anyone since we found 'em! Been starin' like a basket-case."_

_"Well, Barret, where was he?"_

_" In some dungeon-like place lyin' on the floor. Thought he was finished, but Red said he could hear 'em breathin'. Reeve's men took him out and he's on a stretcher, still starin' into space."_

_"Is he going to be alright?"_

_"Hell if I know... Anyway, is Cid with yall?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"Betta prepare 'em for this one, yo..."_

* * *

No one had been quite prepared for Vincent's return... as welcome a relief as it should have been. Only, Tifa could not find her voice, Reeve's look solemn as he and the others stood aside, making way for the pilot. 

"He's stable..." is all Reeve would say as he stepped aside from the entrance to the treatment room.

He didn't know quite what to expect. He knew what he wanted to see, what he was used to seeing; Vincent standing in a corner somewhere, arms folded, gazing out of a window, looking dangerous but somehow lonely.

Cid swallowed as he stepped into the pale room. This was not the case. His eyes immediately focussed on the gunman lying placidly on his back on the white bed in the center, the beep of a monitor rhythmic and quiet. Upon reaching his side, he realized that the gunman's eyes were heavily lidded, lips parted slightly.

"Vincent..." he spoke softly, gloved hand reaching forward to take the gunman's own as he took a seat beside him. There was no response and he sighed. His hand floated up to the beautiful man's forehead, brushing a few stray locks away from his face. He didn't even blink, eyes calm and unfocussed. The pilot shook his head.

"Vincent," he shook him slightly. "It's me. Cid. Damn-it, say something..." he turned quickly to the older man entering the room, eyes narrowed. "What's the matter wit 'em?" his voice darkened.

"Something traumatic took place before the soldiers were able to find him...but we have no idea what it was. We've run dozens of tests, all of which point to a severe introversion on account of what happened. It could be hours, days, perhaps weeks before he returns to normal."

"Fuck! Of all the-" he tore his gaze away from the man, walking toward the window. There was silence for a moment before he shook his head. "Useless..." he muttered, Reeve glancing at him with a look of confusion as the pilot fumed. "You're all fuckin' useless! You and your damn WRO! I knew I shoulda gone in! ...Leavin' it up to you misfits was a mistake!" he slammed his fists on the sill, breathing deep.

"Cid... I know you're upset, but we did everything we-"

"Don't try 'an spoon-feed me that garbage...Just leave... If ya hadn't of let that rock get away... this wouldn't have happened... Get outta my sight."

The older man sighed, shaking his head as he turned to leave.

"Very well. Normally we only allow visitation early in the day... but..." he could almost sense the pilot's undying concern and lack of respect for his authority at that particular moment and he cleared his throat. "...stay as long as you wish..." he offered, knowing the man would have regardless.

The pilot grunted in distaste. "Damn right..."

* * *

From then on in, they'd taken turns watching the quiet gunman, waiting for signs of his return to consciousness. Worry was clearly in the back of everyone's mind, lurking behind the soft smiles and greetings as they came by to check on him. 

Was he truly going to be alright? They wouldn't be able to determine his state of mind until he actually awoke.

That honor however, went to the youngest member of their group.

* * *

The darkness had slowly begun to fade and was replaced with a pale light. He sighed in relief. At least she was no longer dying before him... again and again. He couldn't shake the image of her beautiful skin parting, layer disintegrating to expose the bloody muscle beneath... the dark substance eating away to expose the bone...displaying her skeletal frame before even that melted away and was consumed by the dark liquid. 

The man's voice was in his head. _"I hope it haunts you forever..."_

The former Turk bit back the rage. _"I'm going to find you...and I'm going to rip you to shreds...I swear it..."_

He shook his head, eyes wide as he sat up carefully.

Slowly, his eyes narrowed, teeth clenching, hands turning to fists.

Lucrecia... She had been... The thought was unforgiveable.  
Consumed by a quiet rage, the gunman stood, finding his clothing atop a stool tucked neatly into the corner. Without a second thought, he went to retrieve them.

This wasn't over yet.

* * *

After the training course that she had taken after losing a bet with Reno, she found her energy lower than expected. She looked around, disoriented for all of several seconds. Lucky Cid wasn't here to see her waking up from a nap during her shift. Tifa and the rest of the gang had pried him away from the medical wing, Barret agreeing to take him downtown for a beer. 

The sound of a strap being adjusted jarred her from her daze as she looked up from her seat, blinking in confusion as she watched the figure standing by the window, adjusting the belt around his waist. She almost cursed herself for not awakening sooner. She stood with a smile. "Vincent? How do you feel?" she cocked her head, waiting for a reply. After adjusting his cape he turned toward the door, completely ignoring her presence. The materia hunter jumped quickly to her feet, rushing a few yards ahead of him to stand before the exit.

He would waste no time with pleasantries.

The young woman's eyes widened as she found herself staring into the barrel of a gun. "Step aside..." the voice deadpanned.

"Now, now, Vincent. Put it away... I have orders not to let you leave this-" the short-haired woman nearly shrieked as a hole exploded in the wall next to her head.

"Woah!"

"That _wasn't_ a mistake," his low voice declared.

She looked up from the floor, eyes wide with panic as she put a hand up to the small cut on her face, wincing at the sting.

"Hey! What the hell!"

"The shot that goes through your skull wont be either. Move." Dazedly, the young ninja stepped aside, watching the man walk calmly away, a newfound fear in her eyes as they met his. She knew that look... that look of blind rage, masked by a thread of sanity and she bit her bottom lip.

"Have you... Vinny have you gone MAD?!"

He continued to walk calmly down the hall.

"But... where are you going?!" she called after him.

"To keep the past in the past..."

She shook her head, running after him.

"What?! Wait! What does that mean!"  
The floor exploded in two more shots, the concrete cracking, smoke rising in its wake just inches from her path and she fell back in shock as the tall man shoved his gun back into its holster, eyes meeting hers. All at once she sensed the power in his voice, and for the first time, was truly frightened as he spoke, eyes dark, breaths heavy with contained rage.

"Don't follow me."

She shook her head, rising to her feet as she mumbled "Who are you and _what_ have you done with Vincent..." He paused for a moment as if thinking before looking back toward the exit.

Utter fear kept her planted firmly where she was. He was beyond reason at this point and it frightened the hell out of her. Where was he going? What was he going to do? She swallowed. It was decided. He'd cracked. After all those years of bottling up his feelings, the gunman had finally cracked and there was absolutely no one in the world who could convince her to take him on by herself...not with the knowledge of just what kind of destruction he was capable of.. what Chaos had been capable of. Watching him walk away was the most she could do at this point. She took a deep breath, gathering her reserve. 

He made a soft sound before spinning on his heels, leaving her to stare at his back.

Where was Cid when you needed him. Surely he could have prevented this. Vincent's anger would always inexplicably dissovle whenever the pilot was around. Unsure of where to turn, she reached into her pocket, whipping out the PHS and dialing it hastily.

She knew it... just knew it.

_"Call me as soon as he wakes up, and don't let him leave this room,"_ the pilot's words echoed in her mind and she swallowed.

Cid was going to kill her...

Still...

Better him than Vincent at this point. Cid... with his loud mouth, cursing and crass words were something she could handle. But Vincent...That look that the stern gunman had given her before leaving... it was the look of a man whom rules meant nothing to at this point. There was a certain determination in his eyes... eyes that had pierced her reserve entirely...stripping her of her confidence only to leave her trembling in a fear she was not accustomed to.

Hand shaking as she put the device to her ear, she cleared her throat.

"T-Tifa...Vincent... Vincent he-."

"Yes, Yuffie?" her voice became serious.

"He... He left the building..."

Without missing a beat, Tifa assured her.

"Alright. We're on our way..."

* * *


	11. Falling In

Another chapter down...Read and Review! Heh heh

* * *

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Yuffie cowered as she realized she could not escape the wrath of the pilot.

"You let him leave!!?" he nearly screamed at the young ninja.

"I'm sorry, Cid! I'm sorry!!" Yuffie bit back. "What'd you expect me to do?! Honestly, Cid! He held a damn gun to my head!! Look at the size of those bullet holes!" she countered, pointing to the gaping holes in the wall, brows raised.

"You shoulda called us as soon as he woke up, damn-it... Can'tcha do anythin' right!?"

"Well you shouldn't have left me alone! I'm not going anywhere NEAR him. He's completely insane! You get him! You get him, Cid! And leave me out of this! Just leave me out of it until he's back to normal!!" Yuffie cried, voice failing her as she collapsed into Tifa's arms, the young woman patting her back soothingly.

"Hell if I know where he's goin...Quick..." the pilot turned to the older man. "Reeve-"

"Security is reviewing his exit as quickly as they possibly-" A small beep sounded and he whipped out the small device, answering it. After a moment he slipped it back into his pocket, putting it away. "Excellent. He's been spotted. They're tracking him now."

"I'm takin' the Highwind. Leave this to me."

"But Cid, are you-"

"Tifa," the pilot turned to her quickly, eyes serious. "I promised you I'd tell 'em. I don't need help with this. So just wait here. Let me do this alone. Trust me. I'll be back..." he turned toward the exit before pausing, "With Vincent."

"But-"

"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be alright sooner than you think."

"I believe you. Just... Be careful, Cid."

"I'll be back, nah..." with that he hurried out of the room and into the early night.

* * *

He was determined to find his gunman. 

_That scientist is gonna pay for what he did to him. As if Hojo wasn't fuckin enough.  
Shoulda stuffed him in the engine and blew him the hell away... God...Vincent..._

His eyes scanned the open terrain frantically as he steered the ship harshly, turning sharp corners, the propellers barely missing hazardous rocks.

By the time he found him he was sitting at the edge of a cliff, gazing quietly.

God only knew what was running through his mind.

He approached him slowly. Very slowly...

* * *

Vincent stared out at the shore beyond as the dark moon-lit waters undulated and waves broke upon the land. Nothing would ever be alright again. He couldn't tear the image of Lucrecia being destroyed right before his eyes from his mind. He'd acted irrationally, emotionally. In his fit he'd almost blown Yuffie's head off without a second thought. It was safe to assume that she wouldn't be too anxious to see him. Whether or not the rest of his companions were disappointed in him, he couldn't say. Regardless, it was time to face the music. He'd completely lost his reserve and had absolutely no idea where to go once he had left the facility. 

How ever would he find the perpetraitor. He was blind and deaf to his whereabouts, having been unconscious during his rescue and consequently unable to recall it.

_Just perfect... _

This was it. This was the only place he _could_ go. The cliff overlooking the cold dark waters below. The ocean breeze blew cool and unabashed against his thin frame, his dark cape flowing in the wind.  
As he stared out at the open waters he felt his chest constrict and for the first time since he had awakened, he felt warm tears glide down his face. He refused to acknowledge their presence by wiping them away, recalling an old lesson he'd been taught...so long ago...

Turks don't cry...

His heart nearly leapt up to his throat at the sound of boots on rugged rock and he jolted at the sound of Cid's voice behind him. Figures he would find him. He always did. 

He swore this man had a radar just for him.

"Vincent...why the hell are you all alone out here... You don't belong here..."

"Hmph.."

The pilot shook his head. Not this... "C'mon, Vince. Talk to me."

The former Turk merely glanced at him with a sigh before turning to stare back out at the water, Cid's eyes widening at the lingering moisture. He briefly wondered if he'd come out here for the sole purpose of hiding his emotions from the world.

"I know what it is, Vincent. Damn-it.. It's about her isn't it. Isn't it?!"

"Cid... " there was a short pause as he cleared his throat, "Just go."

"Vincent, I know what that guy did to ya."

The younger man lifted his gaze slightly as the pilot continued.

"..But you can't keep holdin' all that crap inside. Let go of that weight in yer heart. You've held on to it fer too damn long... I can't stand to see ya like this. She's gone. She's really gone. She's not comin' back. And ya need to accept it." The former Turk said nothing as the pilot reached forward, sifting a hand through the hair.

"Come on Vincent. You can't just sit here all day... You've got to get up..." he knelt before him, peering into the blank eyes. He brought his hands to his shoulders, half-expecting a reaction that never came. "Please..." he encouraged.

The crimson eyes blinked slowly before they looked up, smooth lips parting.

"I only wished for her happiness... But... I don't know if she ever achieved it." he turned away from the man, refusing his company with a sigh. "I want it to be the way it was...before I was awakened during the planet's crisis...I'm no good to anyone like this. I just need to... I will fall asleep again..."

"What the hell do you mean?" the pilot was cautious as he watched him, wondering if he was entirely there.

The taller man seemed to back down for a second, his gaze turning back to the vast dark waters, breeze gently blowing a few dark strands away from his face.

"I have the power to do it. I can fall asleep.. forever...I can fall asleep under Chaos's power... and never awaken again...I would no longer be a threat..."

Cid felt his fist clench, but he held it at his side, emotions building within him. "Vincent... Don't you DARE start talking like this again..."

"It is true," he glanced over at the other man, eyes indifferent. " I despise this society that I have come to be a stranger to. Perhaps the planet will be forgiving and take me away from all of this. If I wish for it hard enough...she will grant my final wish..my final cry to the heavens...To release me from this purgatory...To destroy me in a way that Hojo never could.."

"Well she won't."

"...And that would be because?" he kept his gaze fixed upon the ocean.

"Not if I'm wishin hard enough as well...wishin for you to stay...because you're too important to me..."

_Important... Was that the excuse nowadays.._  
The gunman suddenly stood, turning away from him, gaze on the ground.

"Do you even know me, Cid?...Of all I have done..the crimes I have commited in the past..."

He couldn't stand it... couldn't stand watching the younger man's viscious cycle of torment and self-blame.

"I don't give a damn about the past, Vincent." the pilot stood to confront him. "Stop worrying about the past! I want you to stay. Here and now.. You're not going to sleep, and if you are, first off its gonna be in a bed, not a coffin. Secondly, it's gonna be under my eye...close to me...close to my...that god damned organ in my chest..."

He paused as if waiting. They couldn't say it. No one could ever truly say it to him, no one had ever felt that way about him. He had always been the one to give, to give so damn much... and never demand...never ask... Well look where that got him.

For the first time the words that he had long-since believed he would never hear passed the pilot's lips. Sounding a little surprised himself, the pilot scratched his head as he spoke those three little powerful words.

The former Turk spun around quickly, cape billowing as his eyes narrowed.

"No you don't...You can't..." he said darkly... bitterly...

"Why the hell can't I? Ain't I got a right?"

"Cid...I'm not human...You can even see that...Of what I become...of what I am."

That was as far as the other man would allow it go. "Bullshit ..!" he yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes. "I want you...And I'm not gonna allow ya to try to convince me otherwise."

He paused again, Vincent speaking softly.

"You don't. You just think that you know what you feel but you don't...you don't...You can't possibly feel anything for me... I'm not saying that I feel like one... that I resemble one... I AM a monster..." he strained to control his emotions.

"Damn-it, you're human. You have a human heart, a human soul... and human feelings and urges just like the rest of us. So what if you don't fit the damn description. You'd better believe that you're all I want. You're all I need...and I'm not going to lose ya to the machinations of some vengeful low-life..."

"I was lost the moment I was laid to rest..."

"You're NOT lost dammit! I found ya before...and I'll find ya again so either stop talkin' this shit or shut yer mouth!"

"You don't know what you're saying, Cid.. So don't say anything at all.. I don't need this...Especially from you."

"Don't tell me what I shouldn't do. You _need_ to hear it! I told ya what Lucrecia never could. I said what she could never bring herself to say. And I mean it.. .I'm in love with ya...And I WANT ya."

He watched, waiting for his reaction. He trembled for a long moment as if struggling, the wind blowing his dark hair about his shoulders.

It was true...out of all of the time they had spent together...Lucrecia had never been able to say it, her hesitance in completely letting go of her feelings for that scientist hampering their relationship..and ultimately ending it. But somehow...somehow this stern, cranky, loud, old-fashioned, foul-mouthed pilot had managed to find the most powerful words he could...he could say them, and truly mean them...

What did that mean...

There was only one plausible explanation for that. He really_ was_ insane. He shook his head as the other man continued. .

"I'll say it again, Vincent, and I'll keep saying it until you decide to walk your crazy-ass back to the Highwind with me. I love ya, Vincent, and I would DIE for ya god-dammit...! Are ya listenin' to me Vincent Valentine!? Are you getting all this!? I never wanted you as a fix or as a side lover... I want you fer KEEPS... Do you understand me? Fer Keeps!"

Something inside of the gunman suddenly gave out and he gasped, turning away from the pilot completely, shutting his eyes. He had been wrong.. wrong all along about Cid...

The pilot stepped around to confront him but the gunman turned his face away, head hung low. "Stop it..." he whispered, shaking his head, refusing to raise his voice. "You're not going to use this to stop me..."

It wasn't going to go down like this... Cid reached forward to grasp him by the chin, the gunman jerking out of his grasp as though he'd been burned.

"No." he shook his head. "You can't stop me, Cid. I will go back to sleep in the Shinra Mansion...And I wont wake up because its the best thing to do..Because being awakened was undoubtedly a mistake."

The pilot cleared his throat, walking around to face him once again.

_A mistake eh? _

"And you know what I'mma do?" he raised a brow, his patience gone. Without warning, his right gloved hand came up, slamming into the left side of the gunman's face. "...Slap some sense into ya..." he declared. Shocked, the former Turk slowly turned his gaze back to the pilot, anger clouding over his features at the realization of just what had happened. His hand carefully touched the agitated skin, fingers gliding over the sore area before lowering slowly. Without warning, the dark-haired man lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. With a grunt, both rolled away from the cliff and into a grassy clearing, Cid struggling beneath the beautiful man before bringing his knee between them, foot connecting with his chest hard enough to knock the other man away. Vincent growled softly as he picked himself up.

Gathering his bearings quickly, Cid braced himself as the former Turk lunged at him again.

"You have no idea what happened in there..." Vincent spoke through clenched teeth, exhibiting the most anger that the pilot had ever seen. That might or might not be a good sign. At long last, feelings were no longer being bottled.

"Someone tells ya how they feel and what do you do? Run..."

The taller man glared at the pilot's words and swung, the blonde-haired man ducking out of the way with surprising speed.

"You're just afraid." Cid swung back at him, hooking him square in the jaw before backing away. He watched the figure crumpled in the grass rise slowly to one knee, brows drawn down to form an angry crease.

"What makes you say that..." the dark-haired man stood slowly.

"All I ever wanted was to understand... to help ya... to comfort ya... damn-it... to love ya!"

"But you _knew_ I was still in love with Lucrecia!" he lashed out, claw raking forward, marking the tree the other man had been standing before just seconds earlier.

"God-damnit if I hear that woman's name one more time..."

"Fucking deal with it... She was everything to me..."

The pilot's eyes narrowed as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"And you were nothing to her..."

The former Turk's eyes widened at the statement as he stood before him. There was silence for a moment as he let those words linger in the back of his mind before his fist suddenly connected with the pilot's stomach, sending him sprawled on his back. Angrily, the older man scrambled to his feet to block the next punch, finding his back slammed against a large tree, the crimson-eyed man glaring darkly at him as he caught his breath. It all seemed so surreal somehow. They were really fighting. There were no spells involved, no magic to blind them, just good old fashioned fists.

"So is this how you want it to be?" the taller man practically sneered.

There was no way Cid could leave them like this...both angry and bearing an undying hatred for one another...not after everything he'd been through to get him.

The older man's hands came up as he forced the gunman away, staggering to the side to regain his bearings. This had to stop. They exchanged blows for several moments, Vincent suddenly ducking, right leg sweeping forward and knocking the bright-eyed man on the ground. Cid found himself disoriented for all of several seconds before realizing he'd been pinned beneath him, Vincent locking his legs around his, arms holding his wrists firmly to the ground. All they could do was catch their breath as they found themselves pressed painfully close to one another.

The pilot struggled beneath him for a moment before his muscles relaxed and there was little else for him to do but meet the agitated gaze of the man straddling him.

"Tired?" the gunman inquired, brow raised. Cid waited for nearly five minutes for the beautiful man to pull away, perhaps brace himself for another attack. Instead, the taller man merely sat there, breathing deeply as he leaned forward till his forehead rested against the cool grass beside the pilot's left temple, Cid swallowing at the sound of his breath at his ear.

Vincent sighed. God what was he doing... This man had risked his life for him time and time again and this was how he repaid him? By refusing to listen to him? Refusing his company? Damn-it, by fighting with him? He sighed once more, body relaxing. He tilted his head slowly, eyes heavily lidded as he spoke, voice surprisingly quiet.

"Cid... "

The man responded by shifting a little, Vincent lifting his head enough to look into his eyes. The older man swallowed as he realized the change in the crimson-gaze, how it had softened.

"Hm..."

Without warning, the dark-haired man moaned softly, hips shifting a little against the pilot's. The older man gasped at the sensation it caused, unsure of what was happening. The quiet man above him shifted once more at an angle that allowed him to feel the erection pressing against him, the blonde-haired man inhaling sharply upon registering it, crease forming between his brows in disbelief.

Without another word, Vincent leaned forward, closing his lips over the confused pilot's gently. He drew back slowly, slightly disappointed with the look of shock he was greeted with. That wasn't what he wanted to see. He leaned forward once more, head tilted as he pressed his mouth against the pilot's again, lips parting as brought his hand up to his chin, thumb drawing his mouth open just enough to slip his tongue inside. Almost immediately, the older man arched up against him with a groan. The pilot shifted as the gunman's kisses travelled down his chest and he released his arms, his hand coming up and opening the lapels of his short jacket, hand slipping beneath his shirt with an almost voracious sexual appetite that managed to catch the pilot off guard.

"Vincent..." Cid whispered in the dark, hand halting his at it went for the button to his pants.

"God... what..."

"This... What is this to ya? Another mistake?"

The dark-haired man sighed.

"No...I don't...think it is.."

He was trembling above him as he brought his lips against the pilot's once more, moaning softly into his mouth, Cid's member growing harder with each vibration, the urge to thrust against the beautiful body above him strong.

A cool breeze shuffled the grass around them as they moved at their own pace, hands roaming over eachother in their bliss.

The wind continued to blow, and sometime when he had calmed and his breathing was deep with arousal did the pilot draw back a little.

"Are you alright now?" his voice was barely above a whisper. The response was soft, very soft as the gunman's eyes fluttered, hips rubbing slowly against the man beneath him.

"I'm fine."

Cid smiled as he continued to push against him, hands coming up to sift through the dark locks.

"Want to eh... Finish this on the ship?" he offered.  
He wasn't about to allow him to stay here on the ground, and he damn sure wasn't going to leave him. He waited patiently for the answer, which was little more than a breathy response.

"Yeah. I do."  
He held him tighter.

"Ok.." They stayed there a few moments longer, Cid a little reluctant to interrupt the moment before prying himself away from the beautiful man.. He smirked as he regained some control and stood, turning to the crimson eyes.

"Wait..." the gunman's voice was quiet, eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"Yeah, Vince?"

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright," the pilot shook his head. "I shouldn't have said some of those thangs to ya."

The former Turk shook his head as he brushed himself off.

"No... You're right, Cid. I just... I didn't want to-"

"Forget it, Vince. Please," his voice softened. "We understand eachother nah and that's all that matters to me. C'mon..." the pilot beckoned. "Let's finish this before Tifa and Yuffie start wonderin' where the hell we are..."

"Yuffie..?" he raised a brow. "Heh...Don't think she wants to hear from me right now."

The pilot cleared his throat as he followed the path back to his ship, glancing over at the younger man.

"You're probably right..." he said, almost surprised at the thought.

The younger man nodded as they walked side by side, Cid stealing a glance from him. Let him indulge in the comfort of the pilot and the dark night around them, find pleasure in his words and his embrace. There wouldn't be any of that once he returned to headquarters he noted with disappointment.

He had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *


	12. Making Up

Warning: Explicit sexual content: Couldn't resist... Heh (Side Note: Uploaded s'more art 2 my homepage on this profile. Heh heh) Enjoy and Review

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Never in his strongest fantasies had the pilot imagined he'd ever _have_ the beautiful young man on his beloved Highwind. They'd begun discarding clothing as soon as they stepped aboard, unconscious of their surroundings in their lust-induced haste. Neither could simply wait until they were in one of the backrooms, instead falling into eachother's embrace almost as soon as the place was secure. The dark-haired man winced as his back hit the front control board, Cid's arms slipping around his legs and keeping them drawn apart, hands on his hips. He quickly undid the straps before pushing his mouth against his member, Vincent's head falling to the side, a soft pained moan escaping him. 

The pilot was thorough in his ministrations, hands rubbing at the hips soothingly, revelling in the young man's look of concentration. After a moment of this, he drew back, Vincent gasping. Their eyes met, both gazes provocative..

The older man smirked. He knew that look, even if Vincent wasn't aware it was written across his face. Even if he didn't voice it, he knew what the words would have been had they been spoken. He reached forward slowly, fingers trailing against his cheek before cupping it, satisfied by the look of restraint that flashed in the man's eyes as they fluttered closed. Vincent leaned into the touch, turning his face a little into the warm palm, lips brushing against it with a sigh.

"Cid..."

"C'mon..." the pilot encouraged him, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to his feet, mouth immediately finding his, drawing his lower lip between his own and sucking softly. The gunman's legs nearly gave out and he faltered, Cid grabbing him by the waist as they stumbled back a little, the pilot leading them toward the break room.

More articles of clothing landed on the floor with a soft hiss as they worked their way into the small room until both were shirtless, boots scattered in the hall.

His mind was spinning, eyes refusing to focus as he finally realized that he was looking at the ceiling, a cool sheet against his back, barely able to form words, his mind shambles. He soon felt the mouth on his neck and his arms came up weakly to the man's shoulder. The hands were on his hips again and he shuddered when he felt the man's pulsating erection. "Oh..."

His eyes opened slowly at the obnoxiously loud ring of the PHS.

The pilot grunted, pulling the phone from the pocket before tossing his pants into the corner, eyes still on his lover, watching him as his pants soon followed.

"Tifa, ya know... Ya really _do_ have the worst timing..." he chuckled, sounding oddly breathless.

_ "C-Cid? Is everything alright? Did you find him?"_ her soft voice carried the hint of worry.

"Find him?"

Without warning, the older man slipped an arm about the gunman's back, the other around his waist as he lifted him between his spread legs to a half-sitting position, Vincent's arm slipping around the man's neck, claw flat on the bed as he braced himself.

Without missing a beat, the pilot put the phone back to his ear.

"Heh... Oh I _found_ 'em..."

_"Well can I at least say something to him?" _

The pilot chuckled as he gazed at the aroused young man.

His hair spilled over his shoulders as he threw his head back, legs resting around the pilot's waist. The blonde-haired man leaned forward, tongue testing the soft warm flesh of the young man's collar before kissing it, sucking loudly as he kissed a wet trail along his neck. His hands tightened around his waist, his left dropping to grasp one buttock as he twisted a little, forcing him onto his erection until his inner thighs met the firm muscles of the former Turk's gluteus.

"Ugh..." the dark-haired man shut his eyes at the pleasure as Cid thrust into him, fingers pressing into his skin, grip hard.

"Mmm... Don't think he can talk right nah..." he spoke quickly.

_"Is that so?"_ her tone became defensive, _"So he has nothing to say after his erratic behavior? I'm not trying to judge him. Let me talk to him."_ she frowned from the other end.

"I really don't think he can..."

_"Cid, I'm not hanging up until I hear from him... " _

He warned her. The blonde-haired man laughed quietly as he held the phone up against the former Turk's mouth.

"Heh heh... Got sumthina _say_?" he smirked, pushing his hips for emphasis.

"Unn! You idiot..." his voice failed him as he swat the device away weakly.

Almost immediately the soft voice on the other end became agitated.

_"Vincent! How dare you ignore everyone! After we were so worried about you!"_

Her words were but a faint noise in the background as Cid pushed against him.

"Surely ya can say more'n that?" the pilot chuckled, the gunman arching a little.

"T-Tifa... Ugh..." he lifted his face to the phone, eyes fluttering as he collapsed back down into the mattress struggling to speak, surprised as this thoughts were translated into soft groans and moans, brain unable to connect a single thought. "I- Mmph... He's...Oh god..."

Even Barrett would have been amused by how wide Tifa's eyes had become from the other end as she finally made the connection. With a whispered curse and apology, she severed the connection, the pilot closing the phone and tossing it into the same corner atop his clothes.

He then turned to the matter at hand. Vincent allowed the pilot to set a pace for the both of them, strong arms pulling him up against the older man rhythmically. He practically squirmed against him, inhaling one shaky breath after another as his muscles clenched against the intrusion. The pilot rocked against him hard, the former Turk holding on as he merely tried to breathe, every motion stealing his breath, robbing him of any sense of space or time. The pleasure was all that existed and he welcomed it, eyes rolling back. Make-up sex was proving to be more wonderful than their previous encounters. Hell... perhaps they oughta fight more often...

"God... you feel so good..." the pilot breathed as he pushed harder, rocking the lithe body with the force. The small bed creaked with the pressure as the older man grunted, pulling himself to his knees before laying him back onto the bed. He wasted no time in burying his member within that addictive heat, hips pumping blindly. After several moments of thrusting deeply, he paused to gyrate, planting gentle kisses along his face, his mouth, neck and chest. He gasped at the feeling of the slight pull of the tight muscle around him, pleasure screaming throughout the body that held him. The pilot's muscles spasmed for a second, Vincent reaching between them to grasp his own erection, working it in time with his thrusts.

Cid's movements became harder for just a few moments, a sudden desperation washing over him as he neared his climax. He wanted to pause that feeling for just a moment longer when Vincent's hand snaked around his waist, lowering to his buttocks and forcing him into him, driving him over the edge.

All control was lost as he found himself spilling his seed into that wonderful heat, his partner shuddering with a curse..

* * *

The ex-SOLDIER merely blinked as he watched the pretty woman, ears refusing to believe the words she'd just spoken. 

They stared, neither blinking for a good few seconds before the small woman suddenly closed the distance between them.

What the hell did Cid _say_ to her...

"C'mon... we're not playin' this game today," she declared as she brought her hand up behind his head, pulling him down just a little, mouth at his ear.  
"I need your hand up my skirt, your tongue in my mouth...my back against a wall... "

Still, she was met with that eeriely confused stare and she shook her head. Cloud!" her cheeks flared in her impatience. "Now, damn-it!"

Something finally clicked as she pressed her mouth to his, his hands floating up to her waist. She sighed as he pushed her back, hips pressed against her own as his hands began to travel up and down her curves.

Finally. She'd snapped and taken the initiative. To hell with Vincent at this moment. He'd be back by tomorrow morning anyway she assumed. Who cares. They would deal with him later. Right now...she moaned softly, hiding her enthusiasm at the feel of the hardening bulge in Cloud's pants, unzipping them and working her hand down them to grasp the stiff organ...This was urgent. She shook her head with a sigh wondering how the hell she and Cloud had ever ended up partners.

Sometimes... he could just be really _stupid_.

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End file.
